Effects of acrylonitrile on antioxidant status of different brain regions in rats

While the adverse effects of acrylonitrile (AN) on the central nervous system (CNS) are known to be mediated, at least in part, by the generation of free radicals and oxidative stress, there is a paucity of data on region-specific alterations in biomarkers of oxidative stress in the brain of AN-exposed animals. The present study was designed to examine the effects of AN on biomarkers of oxidative stress in several brain regions of adult Sprague–Dawley rats. Daily intraperitoneal (i.p.) treatment of animals to 0 (control, normal saline solution), 25, 50 or 75 mg AN/kg body weight for 7 days resulted in statistically significant (p < 0.05) increases in the levels of lipid peroxidation product, malondialdehyde (MDA), in the cortex and cerebellum; a statistically significant (p < 0.05) decrease MDA levels were noted in the striatum. Contents of reduced glutathione (GSH) were significantly (p < 0.05) decreased in cortex, cerebellum and hippocampus. The activities of the antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were differentially affected by AN and these effects were brain region-specific and AN dose-dependent. Taken together, these data suggest brain region-specific effects of AN on lipid peroxidation, activities of antioxidant enzymes and non-enzymatic antioxidant levels. These effects may provide biochemical evidence for AN-induced neurobehavioral damage and disturbance of monoamine neurotransmitters.