Oxidant–antioxidant system alterations in LPS-induced sepsis: Modulatory effects of pregabalin

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effects of pregabalin (PRG) on the oxidant–antioxidant system in brain, pancreas, spleen, and testicular tissues using a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced sepsis model.Methods: Rats were randomly assigned to three groups: control, LPS, and LPS+PRG. The control group received equivalent volumes of saline intraperitoneally (i.p.) and orally. Sepsis was induced in the LPS group by administering LPS (5 mg/kg, i.p.). In the LPS+PRG group, PRG was administered orally at a dose of 30 mg/kg 1 hour before LPS injection; subsequently, LPS (5 mg/kg, i.p.) was administered. All rats were sacrificed 6 hours after LPS administration. Malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase (CAT), and su-peroxide dismutase (SOD) levels were measured in brain, pancreas, spleen, and testicular tissues to eval-uate the oxidant–antioxidant status.Results: In brain tissue, no statistically significant differences in MDA, CAT, or SOD levels were ob-served between the control and LPS groups (p > 0.05). MDA levels were significantly decreased in the PRG-treated group compared with both the control (p < 0.001) and LPS (p = 0.029) groups. CAT levels were also significantly reduced in the PRG-treated group compared with the control group (p = 0.040), whereas no statistically significant difference was observed compared to the LPS group (p = 0.240). In contrast, SOD levels were significantly increased in the PRG-treated group compared with both the con-trol (p < 0.001) and LPS (p < 0.001) groups. No statistically significant differences were observed in pancreas, spleen, or testicular tissues.Conclusion: PRG may modulate the oxidant–antioxidant system in brain tissue during LPS-induced systemic inflammation. Further studies are required to clarify its effects on the pancreas, spleen, and testicular tissues.