Asian Journal of Biological Sciences1996-3351xxxx-xxxxScience International10.3923/ajbs.2009.7.13AdebayoO.L. O. AdegbesanB. A. AdenugaG. 1200921The comparative effect of Protein-Undernutrition (PU) and well-known neurotoxins on brain weight, lipid peroxidation and cellular antioxidants were investigated. The animals were randomly assigned to ten groups: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I and J with five rats per group. Group A were placed on 16% casein diet while group B were placed on low protein diet (5% casein). Animals in groups C, E, G and I, received 200 ppm KCN, 80 mg (kg b.wt.)-1 PB, 75 mg (kg b.wt.)-1 DDT and 100 μ mole (Kg b.wt.)-1 Pb(NO3)2, respectively while groups D, F, H and J, served as their respective controls. Results show that KCN induced significant reduction in brain weight and SOD activity and significant increase (p<0.05) in CAT but no effect was observed in Lipid Peroxidation (LP) and GSH. DDT induced significant reduction (p<0.05) in CAT activity but did not affect other parameters investigated. Pb(NO3)2, however, caused significant increase in LP and GSH and significant reduction (p<0.05) in brain weight but has no effect on the antioxidants. PB induced significant reduction in brain weight and significant increase (p<0.05) in LP, CAT and GSH whereas it has no effect on SOD. PU induced significant reduction in brain weight and CAT while it induced significant increase (p<0.05) in LP but has no effect on GSH level. In conclusion, these results have demonstrated that PU and all the chemical neurotoxins investigated in this study except DDT induced brain damage (measured as reduced brain weight) in some cases as a consequence of oxidative stress and in some other cases by some unknown mechanisms. PU like some of these chemical neurotoxins induced brain damage presumably as a consequence of oxidative stress.]]>Adebayo, O.L. and G.A. Adenuga,2007116227234Adegbesan, B.O. and G.A. Adenuga,2007116219225Adenuga, G.A., E.A. Bababunmi and R.G. Hendrickse,19922+-ATPase activity of the rat liver endoplasmic reticulum by the liver tumour promoters 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(ρ-chlorophenyl)-ethane and Phenobarbital.]]>7116Ardelt, B.K., J.L. Borowitz, E.U. Maduh, S.L. Swain and G.E. Isom,199489127137Barros, S.B., R. Pimente, K. Simizu, L.A. Azzalis, I.S. Costa and V.B. Junqueira,1994703338Beutler, E., O. Duron and B.M. Kelly,196361882888Campbell, N.A.,19933rd Edn.,Czarniewska, E., A. Kasprzyk and K. Ziemnicki,2003Rana esculenta L. liver.]]>40125133Del-Maestro, R.F., W. McDonald and R. Anderson,19831983pp: 291-296pp: 291-296Demir, O., E. Yazar, V. Altunok, M. Elmas and V. Ozdemir,2001152723726Diez-Fernandez, C., N. Sanz, A.M. Alvarez, A. Wolf and M. Cascales,19981917151722Donovick, J. and R. Burright,19921992pp: 83-109pp: 83-109Dorner, G. and A. Plagemann,200223427431El-Sokkary, G.H., E.S. Kamel and R.J. Reiter,20038461470Kaplowitz, N., J. Kuhlenkamp, L. Goldstein and J. Reeve,1980212240245Levitsky, D.A. and B.J. Strupp,19951252212S2220SLonesome, C.D. and D.L. Eaton,19901990pp: 276-299pp: 276-299Minnema, D.,19921992pp: 83-109pp: 83-109Odunuga, O.O. and G.A. Adenuga,19972+-ATPase against potassium cyanide-induced neurotoxicity in rats.]]>17543546Odunuga, O.O., A.M. Odukoya and G.A. Adenuga,19982+-ATPase activity by potassium cyanide.]]>16265Olowookere, J.O.,19941st Edn.,Orbak, Z., Y. Akin, E. Varoglu and H. Tan,199811719724Rodier, P.M.,200411310761083Shaw, R.F. and B.S. Finkle,19941st Edn.,Sinha, A.K.,197247389394Varshney, R. and R.K. Kale,199058733743