BACKGROUND: Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) has multiple biological activities, and has positive effect on the recovery of tissue trauma. But the effect of bFGF against alcoholism has not been reported.
OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of bFGF on the activities of adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in cerebral cortex and liver tissue of alcoholism rat model.
METHODS: The alcoholism rat models were established by perfusing stomach with alcohol. Thirty Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups. Normal saline group and bFGF treatment group were injected with normal saline and bFGF, respectively, at 60 days after modeling; Alcoholism model group was treated with no intervention. Another 10 rats without alcohol served as control group.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The activities of ATPase and SOD in the cerebral cortex and liver tissue of alcoholism model group were significantly decreased than those in the control group, but the content of MDA was significantly higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05). After bFGF intervention, the activities of ATPase and SOD in the cerebral cortex and liver tissue were significantly increased compared with the normal saline group and alcoholism model group, but the content of MDA was significantly decreased (P < 0.05-0.01). bFGF can increase the activities of ATPase and the antioxidative ability of brain tissue in alcoholism model rats. The bFGF can protect the brain and liver of rats against alcoholism.