Neuroprotective Role of Alpha-Tocopherol in H2O2 Induced Oxidative Stress in Neonatal Sheep’s Brain Tissue Culture

Aim: Apoptosis and oxidative stress are considered as the key factors in the progression and pathogenesis of a number of neurodegenerative diseases. This research aims to assess the ameliorative influence of alpha-tocopherol on oxidative stress in sheep's brain tissue. Methods: Brain slice cultures from the frontal lobe of sheep's brain were pretreated with 10 µM alpha-tocopherol for 1h, followed by treatment with 2.5mM and 5mM hydrogen peroxide for an additional hour. The total reduced glutathione and lipid peroxidation levels were measured in the control and pretreated samples. The percentage of DNA damage was also measured by diphenyl and Agarose gel fragmentation assay. Results: Alpha-tocopherol was shown to significantly increase levels of reduced glutathione and decrease the levels of “lipid peroxidation” in the brain tissue. DNA fragmentation assay showed significantly reduced DNA fragmentation in samples pretreated with alpha-tocopherol, suggesting that Vitamin E has an anti-apoptotic role against the neuronal death induced by hydrogen peroxide. Conclusion: These results suggested that alpha-tocopherol has a neuroprotective role against the effects of “oxidative stress induced by hydrogen peroxide”. This study further highlights the potential role of alpha-tocopherol as a therapeutic agent against a wide variety of neurodegenerative diseases.