Sm. Somani et al., EFFECT OF EXERCISE TRAINING ON ANTIOXIDANT SYSTEM IN BRAIN-REGIONS OFRAT, Pharmacology, biochemistry and behavior, 50(4), 1995, pp. 635-639
The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether any alterat
ions in antioxidant enzyme activities and levels of glutathione (GSH)
in brain regions occurred following exercise training. Sprague-Dawley
rats were given exercise training on a treadmill for 7.5 weeks and sac
rificed 18 h after the last exercise along with the sedentary control
rats. Different brain regions-cerebral cortex (CC), brainstem (BS), co
rpus striatum (CS), and hippocampus (H)-were isolated; GSH, oxidized g
lutathione (GSSG), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxida
se (GSH-Px) activities were determined. The exercise training increase
d SOD activity significantly (130% of sedentary control) in BS and in
CS. SOD activity in H was the lowest of all four brain regions. Differ
ent brain regions showed GSH-Px activity in decreasing order for CS <
BS < CC < H. GSH levels were 43% less in BS than CC and CS. The ratio
of GSH/GSSG significantly increased from 6.8 to 8.3 in CC, and from 9.
4 to 13.5 in BS as a result of exercise training. Different brain regi
ons contained different activities of antioxidant enzymes, as well as
GSH and GSSG levels, which were preferentially altered as a result of
exercise training to cope with oxidative stress.