Effects of Ascorbic Acid and Alpha-Tocopherol on Superoxide Dismutase in Spinal Cord Injured Rats

Aim: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of ascorbic acid and alpha-tocopherol on superoxide dismutase (SOD) in spinal cord injured rats. Methods: A total of 90 male Sprague-Dawley rats (180200 g) were used for this study. Sixty of them were subjected to spinal cord injury (SCI) and given different doses of ascorbic acid and alpha-tocopherol as treatment for 12 weeks (84 days). The remaining 30 rats were used as a control (without SCI, untreated), sham group (laminectomy only) and disease control (SCI, saline). The animals bodyweight (daily), and SOD were examined at the end of the study. Results: Evidently, at the end of the study, the level of SOD decline in rats after the injury. However, compared to the disease control, the treated rats (Groups 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9) described progressive enhancements in the SOD by the end of the study. Conclusion: The findings of the study demonstrated that the administration of alpha-tocopherol and ascorbic acid increased the SOD level after SCI.