Intensive anti-oxidant pretreatment retards motor nerve degeneration

Intensive pretreatment of cats with a combination of the antioxidants d-α-tocopherol (200 IU) and selenium (50 μg) once daily for 5 days (p.o.) was found to significantly preserve the functional capacity of degenerating soleus motor nerve terminals (measured at 48 h after axon section at the hip) in the in vivo saoleus nerve-muscle preparation. The preservation of function was apparent in terms of: (a) a greater seleus contractile response to nerve stimulation at low frequencies, (b) a more rapid recovery from d-tubocurarine-induced neuromuscular block, and (c) a better maintenace of tetanic contractile tension during high-frequency nerve stimulation. The ability of antioxidants to retard the anterograde axonal degeneration (i.e. 'Wallerian') process suggests that lipid peroxidation may be a fundamental mechanism of neuronal degeneration.