Alpha lipoic acid decreases neuronal damage on brain tissue of STZ-induced diabetic rats

Neuropathy that develops due to diabetic complications causes cognitive impairment due to functional and structural damage. The aim of this study was to evaluate the biochemical, histological and physiological effects of Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) against brain tissue damage caused by diabetes. Fourty male Wistar albino rats were separated into four groups as control, diabetes mellitus (DM), ALA and DM+ALA. Single dose of 50 mg/kg intraperitonal streptozotocin (STZ) was used to induce DM. For six weeks, ALA (100 mg/kg/day) was administered to the ALA and DM+ALA groups. At the end of the six week rats were sacrificed by collecting blood samples and collected brain tissues (hippocampus, cortex, hippotalamus and striatum) were histologically evaluated in addition to the oxidant-antioxidant parameters. ALA administration showed significant improvement in cognitive functions evaluated by MWM in rats with diabetes mellitus (p < 0.05). SOD, CAT, GSH-Px activities, which were decreased in the DM group compared to the control group, increased statistically significantly in rats in DM+ALA group (p < 0.05). While MDA and PC levels increased in the DM group, they decreased statistically significantly in the DM+ALA group (p < 0.05). According to the histological examinations made by light and electron microscopies, it was determined that the ultrastructural damage and degeneration findings observed in the sections of the DM group were significantly ameliorated in the sections of rats in the DM+ALA group. ALA may be effective in restoring cell damage and cognitive functions in brain tissue with its antioxidant and neuroprotective effects without showing antidiabetic effects