[A study on the activity of three antioxidant enzymes in the brain of experimental acute cerebral ischemia].

Abstract

The activities of Superoxide Dismutase (SOD), Glutathione Peroxidase (GSH-Px) and Catalase (CAT) in the ischemic cerebral tissue following the unilateral middle cerebral artery occlusion of rats were assessed. In comparison with the sham-operated rats, both SOD and GSH-Px activity in the ischemic area (striatum and fronto-parietal cortex) were significantly reduced by 30 min. of ischemia, GSH-Px activity in the peri-ischemic area (parieto-parasagittal) was significantly reduced as well. It was shown that in the striatum the GSH-Px activity was much higher than that in the cortex. According to our data, it was suggested that in the ischemic condition, cerebral Superoxide (O2-) and Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) were accumulated, and thus the polyunsaturated fatty acids in the neuronal membrane were trapped by these free radical. And such a process resulted in neuronal damage. It implicated that the oxygen free radical might be involved in the neuronal damage induced by Dopamine, since the O2- and H2O2 were excessively generated during the oxidative deamination of Dopamine and the free radical scavengers, SOD and GSH-Px were decreased concomitantly in the cerebral ischemic tissue.