The Effect of Ovarian Hormones on Antioxidant Enzyme
Activities in the Brain of Male Rats
S. B. PAJOVIĆ, Z. S. SAIČIĆ1,
M. B. SPASIĆ1, V. M. PETROVIĆ1
Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Endocrinology, Vinča Institute of Nuclear
Sciences and 1Department of Physiology, Institute of Biological
Research “Siniša Stanković”, Belgrade, Serbia, Yugoslavia
Received February 27, 2002
Accepted May 31, 2002
Summary
The brain is widely responsive to gonadal hormones. The
functional significance of ovarian hormones in the brain is
evident from biochemical studies indicating that estradiol or
progesterone treatment of testectomized rats produces changes of
antioxidant enzyme activities. The effect of estradiol benzoate
(EB) and progesterone (P) in the control of antioxidant (AO)
enzyme activities was studied in the brain of adult male Wistar
rats. The activities of catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px),
glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and glutathione reductase (GR)
were measured in appropriate subcellular fractions, prepared
from brains of animals belonging to various experimental groups.
These groups were designed with the intention to follow changes
in enzyme activities 2 h or 24 h after systemic administration
of 5 g EB or 2 mg P to testectomized (TX) animals. The obtained
results show that both EB and P increase CAT activity, whereas
EB decreases GSH-Px, GST and GR activities. These findings
clearly show the modulatory role of EB and P in the control of
enzymes responsible for the protection of rat nerve cells
against oxidative damage caused by free oxygen radicals.
Key
words
Brain • Antioxidant enzymes • Estradiol • Progesterone • Rats
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requests
Dr. S.B. Pajović, Laboratory of Molecular Biology and
Endocrinology, Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences, 11000
Belgrade, Serbia, Yugoslavia. Fax: 381-11-455-561. e-mail:
pajovic@rt270.vin.bg.ac.yu
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