Effects of L-NAME, a non-speciric nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, on AlCl₃-induced toxicity in the rat forebrain cortex
2009
Stevanovic, Ivana D., Military Medical Academy, Institute for Medical Research, Belgrade, Serbia | Jovanovic, Marina D., Military Medical Academy, Institute for Medical Research, Belgrade, Serbia | Jelenkovic, Ankica, Institute for Biological Research, Belgrade, Serbia | Colic, Miodrag, Military Medical Academy, Institute for Medical Research, Belgrade, Serbia | Stojanovic, Ivana, University of Nis, Nis, Serbia | Ninkovic, Milica, Military Medical Academy, Institute for Medical Research, Belgrade, Serbia
The present experiments were done to determine the effectiveness of a non-specific nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), on oxidative stress parameters induced by aluminium chloride (AlCl₃) intrahippocampal injections in Wistar rats. Animals were sacrificed 3 h and 30 d after treatments, heads were immediately frozen in liquid nitrogen and forebrain cortices were removed. Crude mitochondrial fraction preparations of forebrain cortices were used for the biochemical analyses: nitrite levels, superoxide production, malondialdehyde concentrations, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities and reduced glutathione contents. AlCl₃ injection resulted in increased nitrite concentrations, superoxide anion production, malondialdehyde concentrations and reduced glutathione contents in the forebrain cortex, suggesting that AlCl₃ exposure promoted oxidative stress in this brain structure. The biochemical changes observed in neuronal tissues showed that aluminium acted as a pro-oxidant. However, the non-specific nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor, L-NAME, exerted anti-oxidant actions in AlCl₃-treated animals. These results revealed that NO-mediated neurotoxicity due to intrahippocampal AlCl₃ injection spread temporally and spatially to the forebrain cortex, and suggested a potentially neuroprotective effect for L-NAME.
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