Ascorbic acid and beta-carotene reduce stress-induced oxidative organ damage in rats

Abstract

Antioxidants are potential therapeutic agents for reducing stress-induced organ damage. We investigated the effects of ascorbic acid and β-carotene on oxidative stress-induced cerebral, cerebellar, cardiac and hepatic damage using microscopy and biochemistry. Male Wistar albino rats were divided into five groups: untreated control, stressed, stressed + saline, stressed + ascorbic acid and stressed + β-carotene. The rats in the stressed groups were subjected to starvation, immobilization and cold. The histopathological damage scores for the stressed and stressed + saline groups were higher than those of the control group for all organs examined. The histopathological damage scores and mean tissue malondialdehyde levels for the groups treated with antioxidants were lower than those for the stressed and stressed + saline groups. Mean tissue superoxide dismutase activities for groups that received antioxidants were higher than those for the stressed + saline group for most organs evaluated. Ascorbic acid and β-carotene can reduce stress-induced organ damage by both inhibiting lipid oxidation and supporting the cellular antioxidant defense system.

Key words::

• ascorbic acid
• β-carotene
• microscopy
• oxidative stress
• rats

Acknowledgment

This study was supported by the fund of Inonu University Scientific Project Research Unit, Malatya, Turkey (2008/16).

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this paper.