Vitamin E Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Vitamin E, including details on benefits, dosage, supplements, antioxidants.

Effects of the vitamin E in catalase activities in hippocampus after status epilepticus induced by pilocarpine in Wistar rats.

Barros DO, Xavier SM, Barbosa CO, Silva RF, Freitas RL, Maia FD, Oliveira AA, Freitas RM, Takahashi RN

Curso de Farmácia, Faculdade Católica Rainha do Sertão, Rua Juvêncio Alves, 660, Centro, Quixada, 63900-00, CE, Brazil.

Experimental manipulations suggest that in vivo administration of exogenous antioxidants agents decreases the concentration of free radical in the brain. Neurochemical studies have proposed a role for catalase in brain mechanisms responsible by development to status epilepticus (SE) induced by pilocarpine. The present study was aimed at was investigating the changes in catalase activities after pilocarpine-induced SE. Animals were treated with vitamin E (VIT E) 200 mg/kg (intraperitoneally (i.p.)) and, 30 min later, they received pilocarpine hydrochloride, 400 mg/kg, subcutaneous (s.c.) (P400). Other three groups received VIT E (200 mg/kg, i.p.), pilocarpine (400 mg/kg, s.c.) or 0.9% NaCl (control) alone. Animals were closely observed for behavioral changes, tremors, stereotyped movements, seizures, SE and death, for 24 h following the pilocarpine injection. The brains were dissected after decapitation. The results have shown that pilocarpine administration and resulting SE produced a significant increase in hippocampal catalase activity of (88%). In the group pre-treated which VIT E in hippocampal catalase activity was increase of 67% and 214% when compared with P400 and control group, respectively. Our results demonstrated a direct evidence of an increase in the activity of the hippocampal catalase of rat adults during seizure activity and after the pre-treated which VIT E that could be responsible by regulation of free radical levels during the establishment of SE.

Published 2 April 2007 in Neurosci Lett, 416(3): 227-30.
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