Sambe Asha Devi
Bangalore University, India
Title: Vitamins as neuroprotectants against oxidative stress caused by intermittent cold exposure in the aging rat brain
Biography
Biography: Sambe Asha Devi
Abstract
While it is known that the brain is responsible for the maintenance and responses to environmental stress with increased vulnerability, studies relating to the role of antioxidant vitamins for oxidative stress control in its different regions are necessary for preventing the loss of function more so in the aged. Here in our study, we investigated the intervention of vitamins C and E on the oxidative stress (OS) biomarkers in the frontoparietal cortex (FPC) and hippocampus (HC) of adult (3 months), late-adult (12-months), middle-aged (18-months) and old (24 months) male Wistar rats that were exposed to intermittent cold (ICE) lasting 2h/day for 4 weeks. Supplement was a daily dose of vitamins C and E. ICE-induced OS was reflected in terms of age-related increases levels of hydrogen peroxide, protein carbonyl and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances in the FPC and HC. These changes were accompanied with increased neuronal damage in the FPC and HC. Our results demonstrate age as a significant factor in the severity of the OS during ICE. However, the extent of these changes was lowered by supplementation with vitamins C and E. Although it is not clinically proven for their benefits with ICE, it does offer hope as a nutritional intervention in alleviating the severity of the OS during cold exposures of an intermittent nature.