Protective effect of alpha lipoic acid against oxidative damage caused by valproic acid on lung tissue in rats

Valproic acid (VPA) is a short chained fatty acid which is used for diseases related to brain. When VPA is used for a long time, it causes some kind of damages particularly the formation of free radicals. Lung is one of the most affected organs in long-term VPA treatment. Some antioxidant substances are used for prevention of damages caused by free radicals. One of these substances is alpha lipoic acid (ALA) which exists naturally. In our study, the protective effect of ALA against VPA induced lung injury was investigated. In this study, female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups. 1st group is the control group, 2nd group is the ALA given group for 15 days (50 mg/kg/day), 3rd group is the VPA given group for 15 days (0.5 g/kg/day), 4th group is VPA and ALA given group at the same dose and time. At 16th day, all groups were sacrificed under anesthesia. The lungs were taken and then homogenized. In the prepared supernatants, reduced glutathione and total antioxidant status levels and glutathione reductase, glutathione peroxidase, catalase, paraoxonase, carbonic anhydrase, aryl esterase and superoxide dismutase activities were decreased in VPA group, while sialic acid, lipid peroxidation, reactive oxygen species, total oxidant, oxidative stress index, hydroxyproline, glycoprotein levels and xanthine oxidase activities were increased in this group. These values were reversed in ALA given VPA. As a result, it may be said that ALA shows protective effects against VPA induced lung damage.