ABSTRACT
Stress can lead to various health problems. Exposure to stress is linked to several diseases including cancer, hypertension, diabetes, mental disorders, and heart attacks. Stress stimulates several pathways that produce free radicals, which increases oxidative stress. This results in functional and structural damage to organs, such as the brain, which is highly sensitive to oxidative stress Vitamin E is a naturally occurring potent antioxidant used for various purposes. The main purpose of the current study was to evaluate how vitamin E protects the brain and to what extent it affects antioxidant levels in rats subjected to two hours per day of immobilization stress, the form of stress with the strongest effect. The rats were immobilized by folding their limbs in and wrapping them in netting to prevent movement, while allowing their tails to be extended. The rats were then hung upside down. The effect of vitamin E was tested by intraperitoneally injecting rats with 40 mg/kg of vitamin E daily. Oxidative stress parameters were determined at the completion of the experiment. A dramatic decrease in malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and an increase in catalase (CAT), including glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), has been shown by vitamin E in the brain. The effects of vitamin E were significantly higher in the acute and chronic stress groups than in the control group. Vitamin E can decrease oxidative stress in stressed rats, indicating that it exerts therapeutic and protective effects owing to its antioxidant properties.
