Previous studies have shown that oxidative stress plays a crucial role in behavioral changes due to social isolation. The influence of natural products for the treatment of nervous system damages has been the subject of several investigations. For example, sesame oil and its major compound -oleic acid- have a neuroprotective effect. Therefore, we studied the effect of sesame oil and oleic acid on hippocampal oxidative stress and some behavioral deficits in socially isolated rats. Adult male Wistar rats were isolated socially during 8 consecutive weeks and treated with sesame oil (4 ml/kg, by gavage) or oleic acid (1500 μl/kg, intraperitoneally). Social isolation increased malondialdehyde levels, lowered reduced glutathione content, and increased catalase activity in the hippocampus. Social isolation also diminished time spent in the target quadrant in the Morris water maze test and decreased the percentage of open arm entrance and time spent in the open arm in the elevated plus-maze. Both sesame oil and oleic acid could prevent the mentioned changes in isolated animals. We concluded that sesame oil and oleic acid prevent memory impairment and anxiety in isolated rats, and these effects are associated with a strengthening of the hippocampal antioxidant system.

先前的研究表明，由于社会孤立，氧化应激在行为改变中起着至关重要的作用。天然产物对治疗神经系统损伤的影响已成为多项研究的主题。例如，芝麻油及其主要化合物——油酸——具有神经保护作用。因此，我们研究了芝麻油和油酸对社会隔离大鼠海马氧化应激和一些行为缺陷的影响。成年雄性 Wistar 大鼠在连续 8 周内被社会隔离，并用芝麻油（4 ml/kg，通过管饲）或油酸（1500 μl/kg，腹膜内）治疗。社会隔离会增加丙二醛水平，降低谷胱甘肽含量，并增加海马中的过氧化氢酶活性。社交隔离还减少了莫里斯水迷宫测试中在目标象限中花费的时间，并降低了在高架十字迷宫中打开手臂进入的百分比和在开放手臂上花费的时间。芝麻油和油酸都可以防止隔离动物的上述变化。我们得出结论，芝麻油和油酸可预防离体大鼠的记忆障碍和焦虑，这些作用与增强海马抗氧化系统有关。