EVALUATION OF PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF VITAMIN -E ON VINCRISTINE INDUCED PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY IN ALBINO RATS

BACK GROUND: Vitamin -E is a lipid soluble substance which, effectively protects against neuronal toxicity by preventing free -radical damage to biological membrane. It is a major antioxidant used clinically and its study in nerve injury models has not been encountered in literature. METHODS : In the present study, the neuroprotective effect of vitamin-E (graded doses of 50mg/kg, 100mg/kg, 200mg/kg orally) were assessed by giving vitamin -E daily for 14 days followed by vincristine(100 mu g/kg I.P) on alternative days for 14 days in albino rats to induce peripheral neuropathy. The protective effect of vitamin-E were assessed by analgesic models like tail flick method, tail immersion methods and tail clip method on 0,7 & 14th day. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION : vitamin -E treated groups with 100mg/kg and 200mg/kg showed significant reduction in reaction time on 7th and 14th day compared to control group in all the three models of experiments. These findings indicate that vitamin-E has a promising neuroprotective action in treating hyperalgesia in models of rats.