The effects of ethanol consumption on the lipid peroxidation and glutathione levels in the right and left brains of rats

The effects of ethanol consumption on the levels of lipid peroxidation and reduced glutathione (GSH) in the cerebral hemispheres of male rats were investigated. The rats were randomly divided into eight groups: control, 10%, 25%, 35% ethanol-consuming groups, and four groups given vitamin E The level of lipid peroxidation increased 34.32% (right brain), 35.67% (left brain) in 10% ethanol-consuming rats; 32.05% (right brain), 31.81% (left brain) in 25% ethanol-consuming rats; and 33.45% (right brain), 39.72% (left brain) in 35% ethanol-consuming rats. The GSH level of the right and left brains significantly decreased: 19.39%, 19.56%; 27.58%, 29.34%; 35.34%, 33.22% in rats consuming 10%, 25%, and 35% ethanol, respectively. These effects were partly antagonized by administration of vitamin E (100 mg/kg/day i.p.) to ethanol-consuming rats for 20 days. The results suggested that the cerebral hemispheres of adult rats are susceptible to the oxidative neurotoxic effects of ethanol, which may be blocked by vitamin E.