Neuroprotective actions of vitamin C related to decreased lipid peroxidation and increased catalase activity in adult rats after pilocarpine-induced seizures

Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2008 Mar;89(1):1-5. doi: 10.1016/j.pbb.2007.10.007. Epub 2007 Oct 23.

Abstract

In the present study, we examined the neuroprotective effects of vitamin C in adult rats after pilocarpine-induced seizures. Vitamin C is an exogenous antioxidant that can be used in treatment of seizures. It can alter oxidative stress and damage neuronal induced by seizures. Its antioxidant properties can be proved in epilepsy models, such as pilocarpine-induced seizures in adult rats. In order to investigate neuroprotective effects of vitamin C, adult male rats (2 months-old) were pretreated with vitamin C (VIT C 250 mg/kg, i.p.) 30 min before receiving pilocarpine (400 mg/kg, s.c., P400 group). The other three groups were treated with vitamin C (VIT C group) and saline 0.9 (control group) alone. The pretreatment with vitamin C increased the latency to first seizures and reduced mortality rate after pilocarpine-induced seizures. Pretreatment with vitamin C alone decrease lipid peroxidation levels when compared to pilocarpine group and P400+VIT C. In P400, P400+VIT C and VIT C groups were observed an increased hippocampal catalase activity when compared to control group. Our results can suggest that neuroprotective effects of vitamin C in adult rats can be the result of reduced lipid peroxidation levels and increase of catalase activity after seizures and status epilepticus induced by pilocarpine.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antioxidants / pharmacology*
  • Ascorbic Acid / pharmacology*
  • Behavior, Animal / drug effects
  • Catalase / metabolism*
  • Hippocampus / drug effects
  • Hippocampus / enzymology
  • Lipid Peroxidation / drug effects*
  • Male
  • Muscarinic Agonists*
  • Neuroprotective Agents*
  • Pilocarpine*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Seizures / chemically induced*
  • Seizures / metabolism*
  • Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / metabolism

Substances

  • Antioxidants
  • Muscarinic Agonists
  • Neuroprotective Agents
  • Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances
  • Pilocarpine
  • Catalase
  • Ascorbic Acid