L-carnitine prevents memory impairment induced by chronic REM-sleep deprivation.

Abstract

Sleep deprivation (SD) negatively impacts memory, which was related to oxidative stress induced damage. L-carnitine is a naturally occurring compound, synthesized endogenously in mammalian species and known to possess antioxidant properties. In this study, the effect of L-carnitine on learning and memory impairment induced by rapid eye movement sleep (REM-sleep) deprivation was investigated. REM-sleep deprivation was induced using modified multiple platform model (8h/day, for 6 weeks). Simultaneously, L-carnitine was administered (300mg/kg/day) intraperitoneally for 6 weeks. Thereafter, the radial arm water maze (RAWM) was used to assess spatial learning and memory. Additionally, the hippocampus levels of antioxidant biomarkers/enzymes: reduced glutathione (GSH), oxidized glutathione (GSSG), GSH/GSSG ratio, glutathione peroxidase (GPx), catalase, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) were assessed. The results showed that chronic REM-sleep deprivation impaired both short- and long-term memory (P<0.05), whereas L-carnitine treatment protected against this effect. Furthermore, L-carnitine normalized chronic REM-sleep deprivation induced reduction in the hippocampus ratio of GSH/GSSG, activity of catalase, GPx, and SOD. No change was observed in TBARS among tested groups (P>0.05). In conclusion, chronic REM-sleep deprivation induced memory impairment, and treatment with L-carnitine prevented this impairment through normalizing antioxidant mechanisms in the hippocampus.

• Authors: Karem H Alzoubi, Abeer M Rababa'h, Amani Owaisi, Omar F Khabour
• Journal: Brain research bulletin (Brain Res Bull) Vol. 131 Pg. 176-182 (May 2017) ISSN: 1873-2747 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 28433816 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Antioxidants
• Catalase
• Superoxide Dismutase
• Glutathione
• Carnitine

Topics

• Animals
• Antioxidants (pharmacology)
• Carnitine (metabolism, pharmacology)
• Catalase (metabolism)
• Glutathione (metabolism)
• Hippocampus (drug effects)
• Male
• Maze Learning (drug effects)
• Memory (drug effects, physiology)
• Memory Disorders (prevention & control)
• Memory, Long-Term (drug effects)
• Memory, Short-Term (drug effects)
• Oxidative Stress (drug effects)
• Rats
• Rats, Wistar
• Sleep Deprivation (drug therapy)
• Superoxide Dismutase (metabolism)