The effects of vitamin C supplementation on oxidative stress and antioxidant content in the brains of chronically exercised rats.
The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether vitamin C supplementation during chronic exercise training alters rat brain antioxidant content. Female Wistar albino rats were exercised on a treadmill for 30 min/day for 6.5 weeks and were administered daily intraperitoneal injections of vitamin C (20 mg/kg). After the training period, chronically exercised rats showed no significant changes in total brain thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) levels. In contrast, rats supplemented with vitamin C during the training period showed significantly elevated brain TBARS levels. If such results were extrapolated to man, where vitamin supplementation is a common practice, this would indicate that vitamin C supplementation may not protect brain tissue against exercise-induced oxidative damage, in such circumstances, this water-soluble antioxidant behaves as a pro-oxidant.
Coşkun
Sule
S
Department of Biology, Art and Science Faculty, Gazi University, Besevler, Ankara, Turkey. sule@gazi.edu.tr
Gönül
Bilge
B
Güzel
Nevin Atalay
NA
Balabanlí
Barbaros
B
D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000378:metabolism
D000975:Antioxidants; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D005978:Glutathione; D001205:Ascorbic Acid