title: Alpha-Tocopherol Counteracts the Effect of Ethanol on Cortical Spreading Depression in Rats of Various Ages, With and Without Ethanol Abstinence.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We previously demonstrated that acute and chronic treatment with ethanol (EtOH), respectively, decelerated and accelerated the propagation of cortical spreading depression (CSD) in rats and that the antioxidant carotenoid astaxanthin counteracted these effects. Here, we investigated whether noncarotenoid antioxidants exert the same action by testing α-tocopherol in rats of various ages, with and without 5 to 10 days of EtOH abstinence.
  
  
  METHODS
  Male Wistar young adult (60 to 80 days old) and mature adult (150 to 180 days old) rats received per gavage acute (1 day) or chronic (21 days) treatment with 3 g/kg/d EtOH combined with acute (300 mg/kg) or chronic (85 mg/kg/d) treatment with α-tocopherol or vehicle-only treatment (olive oil and water for α-tocopherol and EtOH, respectively). CSD was recorded over 4 hours and the velocity of CSD propagation was calculated. On both ages, animals under chronic EtOH treatment were subjected to CSD recording immediately after EtOH treatment or after a 5- to 10-day period of EtOH abstinence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In both age groups, acute and chronic EtOH exposure decelerated and accelerated CSD, respectively, versus the corresponding control groups. Addition of α-tocopherol counteracted the effects of EtOH on CSD, returning CSD velocities to levels in control groups (p < 0.05). Chronic α-tocopherol (85 mg/kg/d) did not alter CSD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data reinforce the counteracting role of antioxidants on brain processes involved in the action of EtOH on CSD and suggest that this role is not a particular property of carotenoids; furthermore, this general feature of antioxidants is not substantially influenced by age or by 5 to 10 days of EtOH abstinence.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisiologia e Farmacologia, CCB, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Abadie-Guedes
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica, CCB, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ranilson de Souza
authors.initials: Rde S
authors.lastname: Bezerra
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Nutrição, CCS, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rubem Carlos Araújo
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Guedes
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D064829:Alcohol Abstinence; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D013181:Cortical Spreading Depression / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D000431:Ethanol / Q000633:toxicity*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D000431:Ethanol; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol
keywords: Antioxidants; Brain; Ethanol; Spreading Depression; Tocopherol