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Betaine prevents ethanol-induced oxidative stress and reduces total homocysteine in the rat cerebellum

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Abstract

Oxidative stress is a hypothesis for the association of reactive oxygen species with cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. Thus, we examined whether oral betaine can act as a preventive agent in ethanol-induced oxidative stress on the cerebellum of rats. Thirty-two adult male Sprague–Dawley rats were divided into four equal groups (control, ethanol, betaine, and betaine plus ethanol) with different dietary regimens and were followed up for 1 month. Total homocysteine (tHcy) of plasma and cerebellum homogenate was determined by an Axis® homocysteine EIA kit, and antioxidant enzyme (glutathione peroxidase (GPx), SOD, and CAT) activities of cerebellum homogenate were measured chemically by a spectrophotometer. Lipid peroxidation of cerebellum was shown by the measurement of thiobarbituric reactive substances (TBARS) via a spectrophotometer. Ethanol-induced hyperhomocysteinemia was manifested by an increase in the concentrations of tHcy in the plasma and cerebellum homogenates of the ethanol group, while ethanol-induced oxidative stress was indicated via an increase in lipid peroxidation marker (TBARS) in cerebellum homogenates of ethanol-treated rats. In contrast, betaine prevented hyperhomocysteinemia and oxidative stress in the betaine plus ethanol group as well as the betaine group. The results of the present investigation indicated that the protective effect of betaine is probably related to its ability to strengthen the cerebellum membrane cells by enhancement of antioxidant enzyme activity principally GPx, while the methyl donor effect of betaine to reduce hyperhomocysteinemia has been explained previously and confirmed in the present study.

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Acknowledgment

The authors wish to thank Dr. A. Tamaddon (A member of Stem Cell and Transgenic Technology Research Center Shiraz University of Medical Sciences Shiraz, Iran) for his scientific comments and expert revision on the final manuscript of this study. We also like to thank Saeedeh Ahmadi for the kind technical assistance. We are most grateful to M. Shoaei and R. Shirazi (the member and manager of Aryadalman Company, Tehran, Iran) for providing betaine (Betafine®).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Biochemistry, School of Veterinary Medicine, Lorestan University, P. O. Box 465, Khorram Abad, Iran

    Masoud Alirezaei

  2. Department of Physiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, Shiraz, 71345, Iran

    Gholamali Jelodar, Parvin Niknam & Zeynab Ghayemi

  3. Department of Clinical Studies, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, Shiraz, 71345, Iran

    Saeed Nazifi

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  1. Masoud Alirezaei
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  2. Gholamali Jelodar
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  4. Zeynab Ghayemi
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Correspondence to Masoud Alirezaei.

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Alirezaei, M., Jelodar, G., Niknam, P. et al. Betaine prevents ethanol-induced oxidative stress and reduces total homocysteine in the rat cerebellum. J Physiol Biochem 67, 605–612 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13105-011-0107-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13105-011-0107-1

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