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Neuroprotective Effect of Humic Acid on Focal Cerebral Ischemia Injury: an Experimental Study in Rats

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Abstract

Stroke is still a major cause of death and permanent neurological disability. As humic acids are well-known antioxidant molecules, the purpose of this study was to investigate the potential neuroprotective effects of humic acid in a focal cerebral ischemia model. Twenty-four rats were divided equally into three groups. A middle cerebral artery occlusion model was performed in this study where control (group II) and humic acid (group III) were administered intraperitoneally following an ischemic experimental procedure. Group I was evaluated as sham. Malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and nuclear respiratory factor-1 (NRF-1) levels were analyzed biochemically on the right side of the ischemic cerebral hemisphere, while ischemic histopathological studies were completed on the left side to investigate the antioxidant status. Biochemical results showed that SOD and NRF-1 levels were significantly increased in the humic acid group (III) compared with the control group (II) while MDA levels were significantly decreased. On histopathological examination, cerebral edema, vacuolization, degeneration, and destruction of neural elements were decreased in the humic acid group (III) compared with the control group (II). Cerebral ischemia was attenuated by humic acid administration. These observations indicate that humic acid may have potential as a therapeutic agent in cerebral ischemia by preventing oxidative stress.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Çanakkale 18 Mart University, Kepez, Çanakkale, Turkey

    Adile Ozkan, Halil Murat Sen & Handan Isin Ozisik Karaman

  2. Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, Rize, Turkey

    Ibrahim Sehitoglu

  3. Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Samsun 19 Mayıs University, Samsun, Turkey

    Hasan Alacam

  4. Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, Çanakkale 18 Mart University, Kepez, Çanakkale, Turkey

    Mustafa Guven, Adem Bozkurt Aras, Tarik Akman & Murat Cosar

  5. Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Çanakkale 18 Mart University, Kepez, Çanakkale, Turkey

    Coşkun Silan

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  1. Adile Ozkan
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  2. Halil Murat Sen
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Ozkan, A., Sen, H.M., Sehitoglu, I. et al. Neuroprotective Effect of Humic Acid on Focal Cerebral Ischemia Injury: an Experimental Study in Rats. Inflammation 38, 32–39 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10753-014-0005-0

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