Possible role of vitamin E, coenzyme Q10 and rutin in protection against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury in irradiated rats

Purpose: To investigate the possible role of vitamin E, coenzyme Q10 and rutin in ameliorating the biochemical changes in brain and serum induced by cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) in whole body gamma-irradiated rats. Materials and methods: Cerebral ischemia was induced in male Wistar rats (either irradiated or non-irradiated) followed by reperfusion. Results: I/R increased brain content of malondialdehyde (MDA) and depleted its glutathione (GSH) content with a compensatory elevation in cytosolic activities of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione reductase (GR) enzymes. It also raised brain cytosolic lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity and calcium (Ca2+) level. Furthermore, I/R provoked an inflammatory response reflected by an increment in serum levels of the proinflammatory cytokines tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interlukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta). Moreover, induction of I/R in irradiated rats resulted in a further increase in brain oxidative stress and cytosolic LDH activity, disturbed brain Ca2+ homeostasis and exaggerated the inflammatory reaction. During irradiation, administration of each of vitamin E, coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and rutin to irradiated rats before induction of I/R, alleviated the brain oxidative stress. Moreover, these antioxidants caused attenuation of the rise of the cytosolic activities of GPx and GR. A lowering effect of the cytosolic LDH activity and Ca2+ level were caused by treatment with antioxidants. Each of vitamin E and rutin revealed an anti-inflammatory action of these antioxidants, while CoQ10 had no effect on serum levels of TNF-alpha and IL-1 beta. Conclusion: These findings indicate that supplementation with either vitamin E, CoQ10 or rutin ameliorated most of the biochemical changes induced by I/R in irradiated rat brain and serum.