Cerebrolysin and morphine decrease glutathione and 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid levels in fasted rat brain.

Purpose: The aim was to evaluate if morphine sulphate combined with cerebrolysin enhances the risk of oxidative damage in the presence of moderate hypoglycaemia.
Methods: Wistar rats under starvation for 48h received a single dose of 215 mg/kg cerebrolysin or 4 mg/kg morphine sulphate. Glutathione (GSH) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) levels were measured in brain tissue, as well as lipid peroxidation, Na(+)-K(+) ATPase and total ATPase enzymatic activities, by fluorescence and spectrophotometric methods.
Results: GSH and 5-HIAA levels decreased significantly (p<0.05) in animals which received cerebrolysin and morphine alone or combined. TBARS levels increased in all groups, but the values were statistically significant only in those animals that received cerebrolysin combined with morphine (p<0.05). Na(+)-K(+) ATPase and total ATPase activities decreased significantly in rats treated only with morphine, but the cerebrolysin and morphine groups showed a significant increase in these enzymatic activities.
Conclusions: Results suggest that cerebrolysin as well as morphine induced changes in cellular regulation and biochemical responses to oxidative stress induced by moderate hypoglycaemia in brain.