Abstract
The antioxidant enzyme catalase by reacting with H 2O 2, forms the compound known as compound I (catalase-H 2O 2). This compound is able to oxidise ethanol to acetaldehyde in the CNS. It has been demonstrated that 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NPA) induces the activity of the brain catalase-H 2O 2 system. In this study, we tested the effect of 3-NPA on both the brain catalase-H 2O 2 system and on the acute locomotor effect of ethanol. To find the optimal interval for the 3-NPA–ethanol interaction mice were treated with 3-NPA 0, 45, 90 and 135 min before an ethanol injection (2.4 mg/kg). In a second study, 3-NPA (0, 15, 30 or 45 mg/kg) was administered SC to animals 90 min before saline or several doses of ethanol (1.6 or 2.4 g/kg), and the open-field behaviour was registered. The specificity of the effect of 3-NPA (45 mg/kg) was evaluated on caffeine (10 mg/kg IP) and cocaine (4 mg/kg)-induced locomotion. The prevention of 3-NPA effects on both ethanol-induced locomotion and brain catalase activity by l-carnitine, a potent antioxidant, was also studied. Nitropropionic acid boosted ethanol-induced locomotion and brain catalase activity after 90 min. The effect of 3-NPA was prevented by l-carnitine administration. These results indicate that 3-NPA enhanced ethanol-induced locomotion by increasing the activity of the brain catalase system.
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