Antioxidant properties of the cerebrospinal fluid in neurodegenerative diseases

Cerebrospinal fluid contains elements of the antioxidant system that are involved in the maintenance of homeostasis of the nervous tissue and its protection from free radical damage. Functional imbalances between antioxidant enzymes of the cerebrospinal fluid, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase, have been revealed in schizophrenia, epilepsy, and multiple sclerosis. In neurological diseases SOD activity was higher, while catalase activity was lower as compared to the group of patients suffering from osteochondrosis, which was used for comparison. A decrease in the antioxidant capacity of the cerebrospinal fluid is associated with the accumulation of substances that induce oxidative stress in the brain. Incubation of patients’ cerebrospinal fluid with homogenates of rat brain structures resulted in the activation of free radical processes. In canines, the development of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) was accompanied by a decrease in the activity of enzymes of antioxidant (AO) defense as compared to intact animals. In animals that did not become ill the enzymatic activity was similar to the control. We hypothesized that the antioxidant system of the cerebrospinal fluid regulates the oxidative homeostasis of the brain. Inhibition of this system is one of the causes of oxidative stress in degenerative diseases of the nervous system.