The effect of human growth hormone on superoxide dismutase activity, glutathione and malondialdehyde levels of hypoxic-ischemic newborn rat brain.
OBJECTIVE
We investigated the effect of human growth hormone (GH) on newborn rat brain superoxide dismutase, glutathione and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in hypoxic-ischemic (H-I) newborn rats.


METHODS
Fourty-eight 7 days old newborn rats were randomized to a healthy (n: 15), H-I (n: 18) and GH administered H-I (GH-H-I, n: 15) group. Permanent, left common carotid ligation was performed in the H-I groups. In the GH-H-I group, 50 mg/kg human GH (Norditropin Simplex, Novo Nordisk A/S) was administered subcutaneously just before carotid artery ligation. Two hours after ligation, rats were subjected to 2 h of hypoxemia and then were decapitated. Right and left cerebral hemispheres (CHs) and cerebellum-brain stem (C-BS) were separated.


RESULTS
Glutathione levels of each region were not statistically different from each other in and between the groups. Superoxide dismutase levels were higher in C-BSs compared to CHs (for each comparison p < 0.01). CHs and C-BS MDA levels were similar in the control and H-I groups but MDA levels of both CHs of the GH-H-I group were significantly higher than the levels of the H-I group (p = 0.01; p = 0.024, respectively). Left CH MDA level of GH-H-I group was higher compared to left CH MDA of the control group (p = 0.045) while there was no difference between right CHs. In the GH-H-I group, left CH MDA level was higher than the C-BS (p = 0.03). MDA levels of the C-BSs did not differ between the groups (p > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Although we have not evaluated the effect of GH histopathologically, increased lipid peroxidation especially in the H-I (left) hemisphere of the GH treated rats might suggest that GH treatment may be harmful in H-I encephalopathy.
Yapicioğlu
Hacer
H
Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey. yyhacer@hotmail.com
Satar
Mehmet
M
Canacankatan
Necmiye
N
Tutak
Ercan
E
Sertdemir
Yaşar
Y
Antmen
Efsun
E
Narli
Nejat
N
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001921:Brain / Q000201:enzymology; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000737:chemistry / Q000201:enzymology; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000601:surgery; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000737:chemistry / Q000201:enzymology; D005978:Glutathione / Q000032:analysis*; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D020925:Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain / Q000201:enzymology / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008026:Ligation; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000032:analysis*; D051381:Rats; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism*
D019382:Human Growth Hormone; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D005978:Glutathione