title: Hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative damage in peripheral blood lymphocytes from rats chronically treated with corticosterone: The protective effect of oxytocin treatment.
abstract: Contemporary lifestyle is commonly associated with chronic stress, an environmental factor contributing to development of various psychological and somatic disorders. Increased levels of glucocorticoids, observed in the chronic stress, induce the production of reactive oxygen species leading to genotoxicity. The aim of this study was to investigate whether chronic administration of oxytocin (OXY) 10 IU/400 μL/day, s.c., for 14 days, a hormone presumed to exert antioxidant effect, may prevent DNA damage in the comet assay of peripheral blood lymphocytes of Wistar rats treated chronically with corticosterone (CORT) 100 mg/L ad libitum, per os, for 21 days, as well as, to influence some plasma oxidative stress parameters, i.e. levels of total lipid hydroperoxide (LOOH), and malondialdehyde (MDA), and the activity of antioxidative enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD). Even though there was no reduction in overall number of damaged cells after oxytocin treatment only, the marked increase in total comet score (TCS) after incubation with H2O2 in CORT group compared to controls, was absent in the CORT + OXY experimental group. Furthermore, significant decrease of highly damaged cells compared to corticosterone group was noted. Chronic oxytocin administration thus protected lymphocytes from high intensity damage that leads to cellular death. In addition, treatment with OXY along with CORT, significantly decreased concentration of LOOH in plasma, and increased SOD compared to CORT treatment only. This finding corresponds well with current reports on beneficial effects of OXY in conditions of HPA axis hyperactivity, and supports the hypothesis of OXY-mediated antioxidant action.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, University of Belgrade, Faculty of Pharmacy, Serbia. Electronic address: dusanka.zogovic@pharmacy.bg.ac.rs.
authors.forename: Dušanka
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stanić
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, University of Belgrade, Faculty of Pharmacy, Serbia.
authors.forename: Bosiljka
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Plećaš-Solarović
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, University of Belgrade, Faculty of Pharmacy, Serbia.
authors.forename: Jelena
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Petrović
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biochemistry, University of Belgrade, Faculty of Pharmacy, Serbia.
authors.forename: Nataša
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bogavac-Stanojević
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biochemistry, University of Belgrade, Faculty of Pharmacy, Serbia.
authors.forename: Miron
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sopić
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biochemistry, University of Belgrade, Faculty of Pharmacy, Serbia.
authors.forename: Jelena
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kotur-Stevuljević
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biochemistry, University of Belgrade, Faculty of Pharmacy, Serbia.
authors.forename: Svetlana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ignjatović
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, University of Belgrade, Faculty of Pharmacy, Serbia.
authors.forename: Vesna
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pešić
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000187:drug effects; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000378:metabolism; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D010121:Oxytocin; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D003345:Corticosterone
keywords: Chronic stress; Comet test; Corticosterone; Genotoxicity; Oxidative stress; Oxytocin