AMELIORATIVE EFFECT OF SESAME OIL ON STREPTOZOTOCON- INDUCED OXIDATIVE STRESS IN MALE RAT HIPPOCAMPUS

Oxidative stress plays a role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the antioxidant effects of sesame oil on oxidative stress parameters caused by administration of streptozotocin in male rats.

This interventional experimental study was performed on five groups (7 on each) of male Wistar rats (250-270 g), including: the control group that did not receive any drug, the sham group that received 5 μl of saline in the lateral ventricles of the brain for 7 days, the streptotocin group which received 5 μl of streptotocin at a dose of 1.5 mg/kg in the lateral ventricles for 7 days, and two groups of streptotocin+sesame oil, which were first pre-treated by intraperitoneal injection of 5 ml/kg of sesame oil in two periods of 7 and 28 days and then received streptotocin. 48 hours after the last drug injection in the experimental groups, the hippocampuses of the rats' brains were separated and homogenized. The activity of antioxidant enzymes glutathione peroxidase, superoxide desmutase, catalase, and the total amount of glutathione in the hippocampus tissue were measured using special kits. Data analysis was done by one-way ANOVA.

The activity of glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, catalase, and total glutathione in the hippocampal tissue of streptozotocin-treated rats decreased compared to the control group (P <0.05). 28-day pretreatment with sesame oil improved the activity of glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, catalase and the total amount of hippocampal glutathione in the streptozotocin+sesame oil group to normal values, compared to the streptozotocin group (P<0.05).

By modulating the parameters of oxidative stress in the hippocampus, nutrition of sesame oil may prevent excessive reduction of antioxidant enzymes in the people with or prone to Alzheimer's disease.