title: Effects of treating old rats with an aqueous Agaricus blazei extract on oxidative and functional parameters of the brain tissue and brain mitochondria.
abstract: Dysfunction of the mitochondrial respiratory chain and increased oxidative stress is a striking phenomenon in the brain of aged individuals. For this reason there has been a constant search for drugs and natural products able to prevent or at least to mitigate these problems. In the present study the effects of an aqueous extract of Agaricus blazei, a medicinal mushroom, on the oxidative state and on the functionality of mitochondria from the brain of old rats (21 months) were conducted. The extract was administered intragastrically during 21 days at doses of 200 mg/kg. The administration of the A. blazei extract was protective to the brain of old rats against oxidative stress by decreasing the lipid peroxidation levels and the reactive oxygen species content and by increasing the nonenzymic and enzymic antioxidant capacities. Administration of the A. blazei extract also increased the activity of several mitochondrial respiratory enzymes and, depending on the substrate, the mitochondrial coupled respiration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Maringá, Avenida Colombo 5790, 87020900 Maringá, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Anacharis B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: de Sá-Nakanishi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Maringá, Avenida Colombo 5790, 87020900 Maringá, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Andréia A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Soares
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Maringá, Avenida Colombo 5790, 87020900 Maringá, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Andrea Luiza
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Maringá, Avenida Colombo 5790, 87020900 Maringá, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Jurandir Fernando
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Comar
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Maringá, Avenida Colombo 5790, 87020900 Maringá, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rosane M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Peralta
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Maringá, Avenida Colombo 5790, 87020900 Maringá, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Adelar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bracht
mesh_terms: D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases / Q000378:metabolism; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D000364:Agaricus / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000378:metabolism; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D010936:Plant Extracts; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D014867:Water; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D010088:Oxidoreductases; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases; D005978:Glutathione