DOI: 10.36347/sajb.2018.v06i08.002

Pages: 571-578

Excessive generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and impairment of endogenous antioxidant defense mechanisms have been associated with ischaemic stroke (IS), resulting in secondary events leading to neuronal dysfunction and cell death. This study reports the neurobehavioral and a neurobiochemical improvement of alpha lipoic acid and uric acid in Wistar rats induced with IS.Thirty rats of Wistar strain were subdivided into six groups of five rats each. Ischaemic stroke was induced in the rats using Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion (MCAO). The IS rats were administered 45 and 67.5mg/kg body weight of alpha lipoic acid and uric acid orally for two weeks. Various neurological assessment methods (stair case, cylinder test and modified neurological severity score (mins) were carried used to assess the behaviour of the experimental rats before induction of stroke, during and after treatment. Ischemic stroke caused a significant decrease (P<0.05) in the activities of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxide (GPX) activities. There was also a significant (P<0.05) increase in the serum concentration of oxidative stress biomarker, thiobarbituric acid reactive species (TBARS) of the stroke induced not treated group of rats. Administration of alpha lipoic and uric acids cause a significant increase (P<0.05) in the activities of CAT, SOD and GPX activities of the rats compared to their activities in stroke non treated rats. The serum level of TBARS decreased significantly (P<0.05) in rats treated with alpha lipoic and uric acids compared to those of the two control groups (stroke induced non-treated and non-stroke induced non-treated) rats. There was also a significant improvement in the neurobehavioral characteristics of the rats as a result of treatment with uric and alpha lipoic acids. This study observed that treatment with alpha lipoic and uric acids boost the antioxidant status of the IS rats and may be responsible for the observed neurobehav