Background: In our earlier studies both corticosterone and
cortisol had antioxidant effect in vitro.Objectives: Our aim was
to clarify whether corticosterone and cortisol oral
administration results in beneficial antioxidant changes in
Sprague-Dawley adult male rats in vivo.Methods: Experimental
animals were fed a lipid rich diet and treated with
corticosterone or cortisol in the drinking fluid. Control group
was fed only lipid rich diet with untreated drinking water. The
untreated group was fed a normal diet with untreated water.
Total scavenger capacity (TSC) was measured before and after 4
weeks of treatment in blood samples using a chemiluminometric
assay.Results: Both corticosterone and cortisol treatment caused
increased TSC. The control group and the untreated group showed
no significant changes in TSC. Conclusion: Our results support
the hypothesis that corticosterone and cortisol administration
can improve the antioxidant status not only in vitro but also in
vivo.