Protective Effects Of Vitamin C On Alcoholic Brain And Liver Damages In Rats

Objective: A rat model with alcoholic chronic intoxication was created to explore the protective effects of vitamin C on the brain and liver damages and its possible mechanisms.Methods: 50 male Wistar rats were divided into five groups(n=10): control group, alcoholic exposure model group, vitamin C 20 mg/kg.d, 100 mg/kg.d and 500 mg/kg.d groups. The alcoholic brain and liver damage model was induced by orally feeding 50 % alcohol when these rats were simultaneously treated with vitamin C. During 8 weeks'experiment the general state of rats was observed. Finally, all of the rats were sacrificed, the blood, liver and brain tissues were collected for measurement of blood lipid and serum MDA contents, SOD level in brain, and MDA and GSH-PX levels in liver, the morphological changes of liver and brain tissues were observed under a light microscope.Results: Compared with the control group, the walking stability of rats in the model group was decreased, showing a vacillating phenomenon from left to right, and the spirit and appetite of rats were obviously not good as well. Nevertheless, these symptoms of rats in vitamin C-treated groups were obviously relieved. After administration the drunken duration of rats began to be shortened at 5 weeks and was obviously lower at 8 weeks (P<0.05) in vitamin C 500 mg/kg group. After 3 weeks of administration, the body weight of rats was remarkably increased in the vitamin C-treated group than in the model group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). After orally giving 50 % alcohol for 8 weeks, the serum TG and TC contents as well as the MDA level in blood and liver tissue in the alcoholic exposure model group were remarkably higher than those in the control group (P<0.01), while the GSH-PX and SOD contents in the liver and brain tissues were remarkably decreased (P<0.01). After simultaneous administration of vitamin C, the serum TG, TC and MDA contents were decreased, especially in the vitamin C 500 mg/kg group (P<0.05 or P<0.01), and the reduction of MDA content in liver was more remarkable(P<0.01). The SOD in brain and the GSH-PX in liver were increased in the vitamin C-treated group, especially in the vitamin C 500 mg/kg group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). From the morphological observation, the damage degree of brain and liver was significantly improved after simultaneous treatment with vitamin C.Conclusion: Vitamin C possessed the protective effects on alcohol-induced brain and liver damages, and the mechanism might be related to its antioxidation via increment of SOD in brain and GSH-PX in liver.