The effect of inhibition of nitric oxide synthase on aluminium-induced toxicity in the rat brain.

The goal of the present study was to examine the effectiveness of a non-specific nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) to modulate the toxicity of aluminium chloride (AlCl3). Rats were killed at 3 h and at 30 days after treatments and the striatum was removed. Nitrite, superoxide, superoxide dismutase activity, malondialdehyde and reduced glutathione were determined. AlCl3 exposure promoted oxidative stress in the striatum. The biochemical changes observed in neuronal tissues show that aluminium acts as pro-oxidant, while the NOS inhibitor exerts antioxidant action in AlCl3-treated rats. We conclude that L-NAME can efficiently protect neuronal tissue from AlCl3-induced toxicity.