Abstract

Thioctic acid (α-lipoic acid) and dihydrolipoic acid are endogenous, interconvertible cofactors of the mitochondrial pyruvate dehydrogenase and α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complexes. These compounds help to maintain glutathione and α-tocopherol in their reduced states, and they possess intrinsic free radical scavenging properties. We examined whether systemic treatment with thioctic acid or dihydrolipoic acid is protective against direct- and indirect-acting excitotoxins. Adult rats were treated for 10 days with intraperitoneal injections of vehicle, thioctic acid or dihydrolipoic acid, and on day 7 of treatment animals received unilateral stereotaxic injections of NMDA or malonic acid into the striatum. Histological assessment 3 days after the stereotaxic injections revealed a marked reduction in lesion volume in animals treated with thioctic acid or dihydrolipoic acid. We conclude that thioctic acid and dihydrolipoic acid are neuroprotective against direct and indirect excitotoxic insults.

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