ROLE OF NITRIC OXIDE ON AGE-DEPENDENT ALTERATIONS: INVESTIGATION OF ELECTROPHYSIOLOGIC AND BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS

Abstract

In this experiment 40 young (3 months) and 40 middle-age (12 months) Wistar rats were used as subjects. These animals were assigned to eight groups as: young control (YC), middle-age control (MC), young + L-arginine (YA), middle-age + L-arginine (MA), young + L-NAME (YN), middle-age + L-NAME (MN), young + vitamin E (YE), and middle-age + vitamin E (ME). While physiological solution was administered to control groups, 160 mg/kg/day L-arginine, 10 mg/kg/day L-NAME, and 25 mg/kg/day vitamin E were injected into the experimental groups. After eight weeks of treatment, visual-evoked potentials (VEPs) were recorded, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and nitrite levels were determined in all experimental groups. It was observed that brain TBARS and nitrite levels increased significantly with age. There were also significant increments in the brain TBARS levels of YN and MN groups with respect to their controls. Although brain TBARS levels in YA, MA, YE, and ME groups were found to be increased compared with their corresponding controls, they didn t reach statistically significant levels. Brain nitrite level was found to be significantly decreased in the MN group, but increased in the MA group compared with the MC group. However, vitamin E caused a significant decrement in brain nitrite levels of YE and ME groups with respect to their control groups. P1 in the YN group and P1, P2, and N2 components in the MN group were delayed with respect to their corresponding controls, yet there were no significant changes between other groups. Data obtained from amplitudes showed that P2N2 and N2P3 amplitudes were decreased significantly in MN and ME groups with respect to the MC group. However, there were no important changes in amplitudes of other groups.

• Aging
• Nitric Oxide
• Veps