Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the possibility of involved oxidative stress due to the oral administration of either ciprofloxacin or levofloxacin (under therapeutic level) in the three brain regions, cerebral cortex, hippocampus and striatum of male albino rats weighing (100 ± 20 g). The ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin administered groups exhibited significant elevation in lipid peroxidation (LPO), nitric oxide (NO) contents and superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzyme activity in cortex, hippocampus and striatum. The redox status (reduced glutathione/oxidized glutathione) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and Na⁺, K⁺, -adenosine triphosphatase (Na⁺, K⁺, -ATPase) enzymes activity were significantly reduced in a dose dependant manner in the three brain regions. Generally, the data suggest the contribution between these antibiotics and oxidative stress in brain regions which through light on the need of studies for design and development of new quinolone derivatives with broader antibacterial activity and better pharmaco-kinetics avoiding central nervous system (CNS) side effects.

Key words: Ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, oxidative stress, cerebral cortex, hippocampus, striatum.