Abstract
In the current study, the possible beneficial effect of vitamin C (VitC) against sleep deprivation induced memory impairment was examined. Chronic sleep deprivation was induced via placing rats in a modified multiple platform apparatus for 8 h/day for a period of 6 weeks. Concomitantly, VitC was administered to animals at doses of 150 and 500 mg/kg/day. After 6 weeks of treatment, the radial arm water maze (RAWM) was used to test for spatial learning and memory performance. Moreover, the hippocampus was dissected; and levels/activities of antioxidant defense biomarkers glutathione reduced (GSH), glutathione oxidized (GSSG), GSH/GSSG ratio, catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TSARS), were evaluated. Results revealed that chronic sleep deprivation impaired short- and long-term memories (P < 0.05). This impairment was prevented by chronic VitC treatments. In addition, VitC normalized sleep deprivation induced decreases in hippocamppal GSH/GSSG ratio (P<0.05), and activities of catalase, and SOD, and increase in GSSG levels (P<0.05). Collectively, spatial memory impairment was induced by chronic sleep deprivation, and VitC treatment prevented such impairment. This was possibly achieved via normalizing antioxidant defense mechanisms of the hippocampus. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.