Oral administration of (-)catechin protects against ischemia-reperfusion-induced neuronal death in the gerbil

• Published in: Free radical research Vol. 29; no. 4; pp. 359 - 365
• Main Authors: Inanami, O., Watanabe, Y., Syuto, B., Nakano, M., Tsuji, M., Kuwabara, M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Informa UK Ltd 01.01.1998; Taylor & Francis
• Subjects: (-)Catechin; Administration, Oral; Animals; Antioxidants - administration & dosage; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Blood-Brain Barrier; Catechin - administration & dosage; Catechin - pharmacology; Cell Death - drug effects; Cyclic N-Oxides - metabolism; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy; flavonoid; Free Radical Scavengers - metabolism; gerbil; Gerbillinae; Hippocampus; Hippocampus - drug effects; Hippocampus - metabolism; Hippocampus - pathology; ischemia-reperfusion; Ischemic Attack, Transient - drug therapy; Ischemic Attack, Transient - metabolism; Ischemic Attack, Transient - pathology; Neurons - drug effects; Neurons - pathology; Prosencephalon - drug effects; Prosencephalon - metabolism; Prosencephalon - pathology; Reactive Oxygen Species - metabolism; reactive-oxygen-species (ROIs); Reperfusion Injury - drug therapy; Reperfusion Injury - metabolism; Reperfusion Injury - pathology; Spin Labels; Superoxides - metabolism; Xanthine Oxidase - metabolism
• ISSN: 1071-5762; 1029-2470
• DOI: 10.1080/10715769800300401

The effect of ad libitum oral-administration of (-)catechin solution on ischemia-reperfusion-induced cell death of hippocampal CA1 in the gerbil was histologically examined. When (-)catechin solution instead of drinking water was orally administered ad libitum for 2 weeks, dose-dependent protection against neuronal death following by transient ischemia and reperfusion was observed. To evaluate the involvement of reduction of reactive-oxygen-species (ROIs) by the antioxidant activity of (-)catechin in this protection, the superoxide scavenging activity of the brain in catechin-treated gerbils was measured by ESR and spin-trapping using 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide (DMPO). The superoxide scavenging activities of the brains obtained from catechin-treated gerbils were significantly higher than those of catechin-untreated animals. From these results, it was suggested that orally administered (-)catechin was absorbed, passed through the blood-brain barrier and that delayed neuronal death of hippocampal CA1 after ischemia-reperfusion was prevented due to its antioxidant activities.