title: Betaine protects cerebellum from oxidative stress following levodopa and benserazide administration in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to evaluate antioxidant and methyl donor effects of betaine in cerebellum following levodopa and benserazide administration in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sprague-Dawley male rats were treated with levodopa (LD), betaine (Bet), levodopa plus betaine (LD/Bet), levodopa plus benserazide (LD/Ben), levodopa plus betaine-benserazide (LD/Bet-Ben), and the controls with vehicle for 10 consecutive days, orally.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Treatment of rats with LD and benserazide significantly increased total homocysteine in plasma of the LD/Ben group when compared to the other groups. Lipid peroxidation of cerebellum increased significantly in LD-treated rats when compared to the other groups. In contrast, glutathione peroxidase activity and glutathione content in cerebellum were significantly higher in the betaine-treated rats when compared to the LD and LD/Ben groups. Serum dopamine concentration increased significantly in LD-treated rats in comparison with the LD/Ben group. LD/Bet-treated rats also demonstrated significantly higher dopamine levels when compared to the LD/Ben group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We observed valuable effects of Bet in combination with LD and benserazide, which routinely were used for Parkinson's disease (PD) treatment, in experimentally-induced oxidative stress and hyperhomocysteinemia in rats. Therefore, it seems that Bet is a vital and promising agent regarding PD for future clinical trials in humans.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biochemistry, School of Veterinary Medicine, Lorestan University, Khorram Abad, Iran; Razi Herbal Medicines Research Center, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorram Abad, Iran.
authors.forename: Masoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alirezaei
keywords: Benserazide; Betaine; Cerebellum; Homocysteine; Levodopa; Parkinson’s disease