Sundas Hira
Lecturer at Riphah International University, Pakistan
Title: Antioxidants Attenuate Isolation- and L-DOPA-Induced Aggression in Mice
Biography
Biography: Sundas Hira
Abstract
Aggression is a highly conserved and destructive behavior with intention to cause harm. Aggression is associated with negative traits such as choler, impulsivity, perturbation and proneness to violence. Antioxidants have been used for the treatment of many ailments for many years. The present study was carried out on Swiss male albino mice to explore the role of antioxidants at two dose levels, such as ascorbic acid (15.42 and 30.84 mg/kg), beta carotene (1.02 and 2.05 mg/kg), vitamin E (2.5 and 5.0 mg/kg), and N-acetyl cysteine (102.85 and 205.70 mg/kg) in the treatment of aggression. Aggression was induced by putting mice into artificial situations (isolating animals for one month and administration of L-DOPA). Swiss male albino mice (n = 330) were divided into 11 groups (Group I-control, group II-diseased, group III-standard group, group IV–V treated with ascorbic acid , group VI–VII treated with beta carotene, group VIII–IX treated with vitamin E, group X–XI treated with N-acetyl cysteine for 14 consecutive days). Endogenous antioxidants (glutathione, superoxide dismutase, and catalase) were analyzed to determine the antioxidant potential in oxidative stress. In isolated animals, high dose of vitamin E (5.0 mg/kg) was found to be more potent to placate the mice while all other antioxidants produced dose-dependent anti-aggressive effect except N-acetyl cysteine which had pronounced anti-aggressive effect at low dose (102.75 mg/kg). In acute anti-aggressive activity against L-DOPA induced aggression, low doses of vitamin E (2.5 mg/kg) and N-acetyl cysteine (102.75 mg/kg) and high dose of beta carotene (2.05 mg/kg) were effective to avert all aggression parameters. However, all test antioxidants were equally effective in chronic anti-aggressive studies against L-DOPA induced aggression. It may be concluded that selected antioxidants can alleviate the aggression which is a prodrome of many neurological disorder such as schizophrenia etc.