NEUROPROTECTION AGAINST HYPERHOMOCYSTEINEMIA-INDUCED SELECTIVE OXIDATIVE STRESS IN BRAIN REGIONS OF RATS WITH FOLIC ACID OR DIOSCOREA ALATA SUPPLEMENTATION

Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy), an oxidative stress inducer, has been implicated in several oxidative-related neurodegenerative diseases. The present study evaluated the neuroprotective effects of folic acid or Dioscorea alata on different regions of the brain in HHcy-induced brain oxidative stress of rats with methionine (Met) loading. Rats were divided into control, Met, Met with folic acid and Met with Dios. HHcy promoted oxidative stress in brain by providing evidences that an elevation of ROS Level occurred in the striatum and cerebellum in the Met group as well as the activities of SOD in the same region. A marked depletion of GSH content in the striatum was also observed in HHcy rats. Neuroprotective effect of folic acid supplement was more efficient than D. alata at reducing HHcy-induced ROS production and SOD activities, but effect of restoring striatal GSH content was less prominent. Our results provided that folic acid or D. alata supplement exhibited differentially neuroprotective effects.