CuZn superoxide dismutase in the hippocampus and brain cortex of rats exposed to various stress conditions.

The CuZn superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD) protein expression in hippocampus and brain cortex of Wistar male rats exposed to acute, chronic, or combined stress was followed by Western immunoblotting. The CuZnSOD was significantly induced by acute stressors but not by chronic or combined stress conditions. As CuZnSOD expression is regulated by stress steroids, the lack of SOD upregulation under chronic stress and its moderate upregulation in combined stress may lead to inefficient ROS defense and increased oxidative damage of brain tissues under the stress conditions.