Growth Hormone Prevents the Memory Deficit Caused by Oxidative Stress in Early Neurodegenerative Stage in Rats

Abstract

Oxidative stress has been involved in neurodegenerative diseases. The growth hormone (GH) counteracts the levels of reactive oxygen species. Previously, we showed that the prolonged exposure to ozone causes oxidative stress in the hippocampus and memory deficits. In this work, we analyzed the effects of the growth hormone on the memory deficit generated by ozone exposure, growth hormone effects on the Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), and the serine-threonine protein kinase (Akt) activation in the dentate gyrus. Our results show that GH prevents memory deficits in early stages of the neurodegenerative process.