Effects of S-adenosyl-L-methionine on lipid peroxidation and glutathione levels in rat brain slices exposed to reoxygenation after oxygen-glucose deprivation.

We analyzed the effects of S-adenosyl-L-methionine (AdoMet) on tissue oxidative stress in rat brain slices exposed to reoxygenation after oxygen-glucose deprivation. The thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), total and oxidized glutathione, and lactate-dehydrogenase efflux (LDH) from tissue to the incubation medium, were measured. Brain slices were incubated without glucose and with N2, then glucose was added and O2 was perfused. After the anoxic-reoxygenation period, increase in TBARS, oxidized glutathione and LDH efflux, and decrease in total glutathione levels, were observed. The incubation with AdoMet before the anoxic period reduced TBARS (31-1000 micromol/l), glutathione production was increased (31-1000 micromol/l), LDH efflux decreased 6.41% with 15 micromol/l and 61.5% with 500 micromol/l). In the ex vivo experiments, we administered 50 mg/kg per day p.o., AdoMet for 3 days, then brain slices were collected and the anoxia-reoxygenation experiment was carried out. AdoMet led to the inhibition of brain lipid peroxidation and increased total glutathione production, after 3 h-reoxygenation. The increase of LDH efflux in non-treated rats was reduced by 77%. We conclude that AdoMet exerts citoprotective effects in an experimental model of brain slices reoxygenation after oxygen-glucose deprivation.