title: Ameliorative effect of α-tocopherol on monosodium glutamate-induced cardiac histological alterations and oxidative stress.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic oral intake of high doses of monosodium glutamate (MSG) causes oxidative stress. Oxidative stress plays an important role in the development of cardiac dysfunction and injury. Supplementation with α-tocopherol protects the body against oxidative stress and its related complications. This study was proposed to examine the protective effect of α-tocopherol against MSG-induced biochemical and histological alterations in blood and cardiac tissue of rats for a period of 180 days.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Chronic oral administration of MSG (4 g kg(-1)) caused oxidative stress that was manifested by significant increase (P < 0.05) in malondialdehyde, conjugated dienes and by the decrease in the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, reduced glutathione, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione S-transferase in cardiac tissue. The significantly increased (P < 0.05) activities of aspartate transaminase, creatine phosphokinase and lactate dehydrogenase in serum suggested a cardiac functional disorder. Moreover, heart muscle fibers showed cloudy swelling, fiber separation and vascular congestion. Administration of α-tocopherol (200 mg kg(-1)) significantly (P < 0.05) attenuated the MSG-induced biochemical alterations in serum and cardiac tissue. α-Tocopherol also prevented the pathological changes in cardiac tissue when compared with the MSG-treated group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that α-tocopherol may have a protective effect against MSG-induced cardiotoxicity, possibly through its antioxidant activity.
authors.affiliation: School of Biosciences, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: Sauganth
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Paul
authors.forename: Abhilash
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mohanan
authors.forename: Mathews V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Varghese
authors.forename: Manju
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alex
authors.forename: Harikumaran
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nair
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D009206:Myocardium / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012970:Sodium Glutamate / Q000633:toxicity*; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol; D012970:Sodium Glutamate