Vanadium-Induced Oxidative Stress on Adult Rats Central Nervous System

QUIROGA, ARIEL DARIO; BIANCARDI, MARÍA EUGENIA; MARTINEZ, ALEJANDRA; STRUTZ, NELSON; GARCIA, GRACIELA BEATRIZ

Los Cocos, Córdoba

Congreso; XVII Congreso de la Sociedad Argentina de Neuroquímica; 2002

Some researchers showed that vanadium has a strong effect on brain lipid metabolism and on biogenous amines. A relationship between plasma vanadium levels and the manic-depresive syndrome has also been demonstrated. This work studies the oxidative effect of vanadium (V) on adult rats´ CNS. Seventeen male rats were treated with 3 mg/kg/day (i.p.) of sodium metavanadate for 5 days (subacute exposure). The same number o animals (contol group) were injected with saline solution in the same period. At the 6th day, open-field for motor activity and forelimb support for equilibrium and neuromuscular strength were tested. Then animals were savrified, brains removed, and processed occording to thestudy requirements. Histological: NADPH diaforase enzymehistochemistry and a-HSP-70 and a-GFAP immunohistochemistry. Biochemical: catalase activity in whole brain and specific areas. Behavioral tests showed alterations in open field and in forelimb support. In general, decrease was observed in all studied parameters in treated animals. HSP-70 immunolabel and NADPH diaforase reactivity showed an enhanced expression in treates animals, specially in cerebellum and hypothalamus (supraoptic nucleus) with a less significant increase in the hippocampus. GFAP immunolabel showed an astrogliosis in some brain regions. Results suggest that this experimental protocol of vanadium exposure would produce oxidative stress in adult rats´ CNS.