Soft-food diet induces oxidative stress in the rat brain

• Published in: Neuroscience letters Vol. 508; no. 1; pp. 42 - 46
• Main Authors: Ohno, Akinori, Yoshino, Fumihiko, Yoshida, Ayaka, Hori, Norio, Ono, Yumie, Kimoto, Katsuhiko, Onozuka, Minoru, Lee, Masaichi Chang-il
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ireland Elsevier Ireland Ltd 02-02-2012
• Subjects: Animals; Brain; Brain - drug effects; Brain - physiology; Cyclic N-Oxides; Diet - methods; Dopamine; Dopamine - metabolism; Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy; Hippocampus; Hippocampus - cytology; Male; Mastication; Oxidative stress; Oxidative Stress - drug effects; Pyrrolidines; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Oxidative stress; Brain; Mastication; Dopamine; Hippocampus
• ISSN: 0304-3940; 1872-7972
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2011.12.015

► DA release in the hippocampus was reduced in the rats maintain on a soft-food diet. ► Soft-food diet feeding enhances oxidative stress in the rats. ► DA can directly scavenge ROS such as HO
, and O
2
−.
Decreased dopamine (DA) release in the hippocampus may be caused by dysfunctional mastication, although the mechanisms involved remain unclear. The present study examined the effects of soft- and hard-food diets on oxidative stress in the brain, and the relationship between these effects and hippocampal DA levels. The present study showed that DA release in the hippocampus was decreased in rats fed a soft-food diet. Electron spin resonance studies using the nitroxyl spin probe 3-methoxycarbonyl-2,2,5,5-tetramethylpyrrolidine-1-oxyl directly demonstrated a high level of oxidative stress in the rat brain due to soft-food diet feeding. In addition, we confirmed that DA directly react with reactive oxygen species such as hydroxyl radical and superoxide. These observations suggest that soft-food diet feeding enhances oxidative stress, which leads to oxidation and a decrease in the release of DA in the hippocampus of rats.