Effects of footshock stress on superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase enzyme activities and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances levels in the rat prefrontal cortex and striatum

Mild footshock stress results in an increase dopamine metabolism in the pre frontal cortex. Increases in either the intensity or duration of stress enh ance dopamine metabolism in the nucleus accumbens and striatum, as well as in the prefrontal cortex. Dopamine is metabolized by monoamine oxidase with hydrogen peroxide as a product. In this study we have demonstrated that wh ile very mild (0.2 mA) footshock stress did not change glutathione peroxida se activity in the rat prefrontal cortex and striatum, more intense (1.6 mA ) footshock stress increased glutathione peroxidase activity at 0, 15, 30 a nd 60 min after the footshock in the prefrontal cortex and at 30 min after the footshock in the striatum. Stress did not change superoxide dismutase a ctivity and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances levels. These results i ndicate that increased dopamine metabolism induced by footshock stress is p robably responsible for the increase of glutathione peroxidase activity. (C ) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.