Effect of aronia melanocarpa fruit juice on reserpine-induced hypokinesia and oxydative stress in rats

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Reserpine can cause hypokinesia due to depletion of monoamine stores in the central nervous system. PURPOSE: The aim of the present study was to investigate in the effects of Aronia melanocarpa fruit juice (AMFJ) on reserpine-induced hypokinesia and oxidative stress in male Wistar rats. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Reserpine was applied as a single intraperitoneal dose of 6 mg/kg (as a 0.3% solution in 5% DMSO, 2 ml/kg) and comparisons were made with the control group injected intraper- itoneally with 5% DMSO (2 ml/kg). AMFJ was applied orally at doses of 2.5 ml/kg, 5 ml/kg and 10 ml/kg three times (on the 0 th , 19 th and 23 rd hour) after reserpine administration while the control group received distilled water (10 ml/kg) at the same time points. The open field test (OFT) was used for investigation of lo- comotor activity. Oxidative stress was evaluated by the concentration of thiobarbituric acid reacting sub- stances (TBARS) in rat brain. RESULTS: Reserpine induced a significant reduction (p<0.001) in both horizontal and vertical locomotor activity of rats. Brain TBARS in reserpine-treated animals were significantly higher (p<0.05) in compari- son with those of the control rats which indicated that reserpine induced oxidative stress. AMFJ caused a non-significant increase in locomotor activity of reserpine-treated rats. The concentration of TBARS in the brains of rats treated with AMFJ after reserpine did not differ significantly from the control level.