Effect of Supplementation of vitamin E and vitamin C on brain acetylcholinesterase activity and neurotransmitter levels in rats treated with scopolamine, an inducer of dementia
2001
Lee, L. (Chung-Ang Univ., Seoul (Korea R.)) | Kang, S.A. | Lee, H.O. | Lee, B.H. | Jung, I.K. | Lee, J.E. | Heo, Y.S.
In the present study, the effects of vitamins E and C on the levels of neuro-transmitters and acetylcholinesterase activity in the brains of rats treated with scopolamine, an inducer of dementia, were examined. Fifty male Sprague-Dawley rats at the age of 5 wk were divided into five groups after 1 wk of adaptation and fed five different diets for 6 wk: a no-scopolamine group, which was a scopolamine-untreated group fed only a basal diet; a scopolamine-treated group fed a basal diet; a vitamin E-supplemented scopolamine-treated group; a vitamin C-supplemented scopolamine-treated group; and a vitamins E and C-supplemented scopolamine-treated group. Scopolamine was twice administered by intraperitoneal injection (300 mg/kg, body weight), 3 d and 20 min prior to sacrifice. Brain acetylcholinesterase activity was markedly reduced by scopolamine injection. However, the supplementation of vitamins E and C in the diet significantly increased the reduced brain acetylcholinesterase activity up to the level of the scopolamine-untreated group. Brain serotonin concentration in the vitamin C-supplemented scopolamine-treated group was significantly higher than that in the scopolamine-treated group. However, there were no signifi cant differences in brain dopamine and norepinephrine concentrations among all groups. In conclusion, supplementation with vitamin E and/or vitamin C might be useful in maintaining brain acetylcholinesterase activity at the normal level and serotonin concentration for some extent under the condition to induce dementia by scopolamine administration.
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