The Effect of Dietary Virgin Olive Oil on Brain Lipid Levels and Brain Edema in Rat Stroke Models

Stroke is the third most common cause of death in industrialized countries after cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Despite numerous defenses، the brain is vulnerable to oxidative stress resulting from ischemia and reperfusion. Due to the relationship between olive oil consumption and low cardiovascular mortality and morbidity، this study was accomplished to investigate the relationship between dietary virgin olive oil (VOO) on brain lipids and formation of brain edema in rat stroke models.

In this experimental study 60 Wistar rats were divided into five groups. First and second groups (control and sham) received distilled water، while all three treatment groups received oral VOO for 30 days (0. 25، 0. 5 and 0. 75 ml/kg/day respectively). Two hours after the last dose، each main group was subdivided into two additional groups of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) for the assessment of neuropathology (brain edema) and intact group for brain lipid analysis. Data were analyzed using one way Anova LSD tests and Pearson correlation.

Pretreatment by VOO increased the brain cholesterol ester and cholesterol levels in doses of 0. 5 and 0. 75 ml/kg/day. VOO in all three doses increased the brain triglyceride levels (p<0. 05). Oral administration of VOO in doses of 0. 5 and 0. 75 reduced brain edema in mice.

Results suggest that VOO may be taken as a valuable alternative for the pretreatment of ischemia via inducing some changes in lipid profile and decreasing brain edema.