Biochemical effects of caffeine and melatonin on rat embryo brain

Background:Oxidative stress plays an important role in fetus brain development. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective role of melatonin against the effect of caffeine (given 30 mg/kg and 60 mg/kg) in embryo brain.Material and Methods:For this purpose, 35 adult female Sprague-Dawley rats were used in the study. Pregnant rats were detected by vaginal smear test and were divided into seven groups with five rats per group.Thirty(30) mg/kg and 60 mg/kg caffeine were administered to the experimental groups between the 1st and 20th days of pregnancy, while melatonin (10 mg/kg) was administered to the treatment groups in addition to caffeine. On the 20th day of pregnancy, fetuses were taken by cesarean section and their weights/lengths were measured.Results:Superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH), glutathione disulfide (GSSG), total antioxidant status (TAS), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), calcium (Ca) and vitamin D (Vit D) levels were measured by spectrophotometric methods. Oxidative stress index (OSI) and total glutathione (GSH/GSSG) levels were the markers used for oxidative stress and measured by TOS/TAS and GSH/GSSG, respectively. All data were statistically evaluated.Conclusion:In this study, it was observed that high dose caffeine reduces oxidative stress in brain tissues while increasing the antioxidant level.