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Abstract
The rodent Harderian gland (HG) is a highly porphyrinogenic organ that is vulnerable since free radicals elicited by excessive porphyrins lead to oxidative damage. We assessed the day/night HG oxidative stress status by assaying lipid peroxidation products thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) and antioxidant defence systems: glutathione peroxidase (GPx), Cu, Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD), and melatonin in male Wistar rats acclimatized to light/dark cycles regimen of 12:12 for 3 weeks, before being sacrificed in the middle of the light phase or in the middle of the dark phase. Whereas TBARS concentrations were significantly higher during the photophase compared with scotophase (p < 0.05), no day/night differences were noted in the endogenous cytoprotective and antioxidant agents, such as melatonin, GPx and SOD, in these organs. We show here that increased lipid peroxidation mostly during the light phase, a probable consequence of photoreaction, is not counteracted by HG melatonin and antioxidant enzymes GPx and SOD contents.