Effects of various nitric oxide synthase inhibitors on AlCl3-induced neuronal injury in rats

Abstract

The present study was aimed at determining the effectiveness of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitors: N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester, 7-nitroindazole and aminoguanidine in modulating the toxicity of AlCl3 on superoxide production and the malondialdehyde concentration of Wistar rats. The animals were sacrificed 10 min and 3 days after the treatment and the forebrain cortex was removed. The results show that AlCl3 exposure promotes oxidative stress in different neural areas. The biochemical changes observed in the neuronal tissues show that aluminum acts as pro-oxidant, while NOS inhibitors exert an anti-oxidant action in AlCl3-treated animals.

Keywords

• aluminum
• forebrain cortex
• NOS inhibitors
• superoxide production
• lipid peroxidation