ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effect of erythropoietin (EPO) on the activities of antioxidant enzymes, namely catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in the brain tissues of aged rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty SD rats were randomly divided into normal control, aging model, and recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) treatment groups (n=10). Morris water maze was used to compare the behavioral indexes. The rats were then sacrificed to observe Nissl bodies in the hippocampal neurons with Nissl staining and test the activities of CAT and GSH-Px in the brain tissues.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the control group, the aging rats showed significantly deteriorated learning and memory abilities (P<0.05), which were improved obviously by rhEPO treatment (P<0.05). The number of Nissl bodies in the neurons was reduced in the aging rats compared with that in the control group, and rhEPO treatment increased the number of Nissle bodies but failed to restore the control level. The aging rats also showed significantly lowered activities of CAT and GSH-Px in the brain tissue (P<0.05), which were increased significantly after rhEPO treatment (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>EPO can enhance the activities of the antioxidant enzymes in the brain tissues of aged rats to increase the antioxidant capacity and produces an anti-aging effect.</p>