title: L-ascorbic acid and α tocopherol supplementation and antioxidant status in nickel- or lead-exposed rat brain tissue.
abstract: We evaluated the effect of L-ascorbic acid and alpha-tocopherol supplementation on plasma and whole brain nitric oxide level and antioxidant status in nickel sulfate- or lead acetate- treated male albino rats. Nitric oxide and lipid peroxide levels in whole brain tissue and plasma increased following nickel and lead treatment but significantly returned to near-normal values upon L-ascorbic acid or alpha-tocopherol supplementation. In brain tissue, antioxidant enzymes--superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase--along with the glutathione level decreased significantly after both treatments but significantly improved upon simultaneous supplementation with L-ascorbic acid or alpha-tocopherol. Lead-treated animals showed a greater improvement with alpha-tocopherol, whereas nickel-treated rats showed a greater improvement with L-ascorbic acid. In both groups, combined supplementation with L-ascorbic acid and alpha-tocopherol did not change the percentage improvement in comparison with supplementation with a single vitamin alone.
authors.affiliation: Environmental Health Research Unit, Department of Physiology, Al Ameen Medical College, Bijapur-586108, Karnataka, India. kusaldas@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Kusal K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Das
authors.forename: Sikha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saha
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D009532:Nickel / Q000633:toxicity*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000633:toxicity*; D051381:Rats; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D009569:Nitric Oxide; C029938:nickel sulfate; D009532:Nickel; D002374:Catalase; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol; D001205:Ascorbic Acid; C008261:lead acetate