Carbofuran Induced Oxidative Stress Mediated Alterations in Na + ‐K + ‐ATPase Activity in Rat Brain: Amelioration by Vitamin E

Pesticides cause oxidative stress and adversely influence Na + ‐K + ‐ATPase activity in animals. Since impact of carbofuran has not been properly studied in the mammalian brain, the ability of carbofuran to induce oxidative stress and modulation in Na + ‐K + ‐ATPase activity and its amelioration by vitamin E was performed. The rats divided into six groups received two different doses of carbofuran (15% and 30% LD 50 ) for 15 days. The results suggested that the carbofuran treatment caused a significant elevation in levels of malonaldehyde and reduced glutathione and sharp inhibition in the activities of super oxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione‐ S ‐transferase; the effect being dose dependent. Carbofuran at different doses also caused sharp reduction in the activity of Na + ‐K + ‐ATPase. The pretreatment of vitamin E, however, showed a significant recovery in these indices. The pretreatment of rats with vitamin E offered protection from carbofuran‐induced oxidative stress.