Effects of Acute Footshock
Stress on Antioxidant Enzyme Activities in the Adolescent Rat
Brain
N. UYSAL, O. ACIKGOZ, S. GÖNENÇ, B.M. KAYATEKIN,
M. KIRAY,
A. SÖNMEZ, İ. ªEMIN
Department of Physiology, Dokuz Eylul University Medical School,
Balcova, Izmir, Turkey
Received April 4, 2004
Accepted October 14, 2004
On-line available December 9, 2004
Summary
In a previous study we demonstrated that acute footshock stress
increased glutathione peroxidase activity in the prefrontal
cortex and striatum of adult male rats. Adolescents may respond
differently to stress as life stressors may be greater than at
other ages. The present study examined the effects of the acute
footshock stress on superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione
peroxidase (GPx) enzyme activities and thiobarbituric acid
reactive substances (TBARS) levels in adolescent male and female
rat brains. We demonstrated that acute footshock stress
increased SOD activity in the prefrontal cortex, and increased
GPx activity in the hippocampus in female rats. In males, acute
footshock stress increased GPx activity in the prefrontal cortex
and hippocampus. Footshock stress did not change TBARS levels.
These results indicate a strong role of gender in the response
of adolescent subjects to various aspects of stress.
Key words
Footshock stress • Dopamine • Prefrontal cortex • Hippocampus •
Striatum • Superoxide dismutase
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