Bunza, Abubakar Habibu and Kuttulebbai Naina Mohamed Salam, Sirajudeen and Mohd Yusof, Nurul Aiman and Che Jalil, Nur Asyilla and Mohd Amin, Mohamad Syabil Ikwan and Shehu, Kabiru and Asari, Mohd Asnizam (2026) Effects of intermittent fasting on redox markers in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of stress-exposed rats. In: AKAP International Congress on Medicine and Health Sciences, 1-3 October 2026, online (Ankara, Turkey).
![[img]](https://irep.iium.edu.my/style/images/fileicons/application_pdf.png) |
PDF
- Published Version
Restricted to Repository staff only Download (3MB) | Request a copy |
Abstract
Chronic stress can disrupt cerebral redox homeostasis and increase vulnerability to oxidative damage. Intermittent fasting (IF) has emerged as a potential intervention for enhancing antioxidant defences. However, these effects across distinct brain regions and under stress conditions remain poorly understood. This study investigated the effects of intermittent fasting on brain redox markers in stressexposed rats. Twenty-eight male Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly allocated to four groups (n = 7/group): control, fasting, fasting + stress, and stress. Fasting groups underwent one month of ADF, while the fasting + stress and stress groups were subsequently exposed to repeated restraint and forcedswimming stress for two weeks after the ADF. Hippocampal and prefrontal cortical tissues were collected for biochemical analysis. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) were quantified using ELISA. Findings indicate that intermittent fasting produced distinct region-specific antioxidant responses. In the hippocampus, fasting significantly increased SOD1(p= 0.0045) and CAT (p= 0.0093) levels, hippocampal GSH levels did not differ significantly among groups (p= 0.0501). Hippocampal Nrf2 levels were significantly higher in the fasting + stress group than in the stress group (p= 0.0273). In the prefrontal cortex, MDA levels differed significantly among groups (p= 0.0002), with the stress group showing higher MDA levels than other groups. Cortical CAT levels did not differ significantly among groups (p= 0.0552). Conclusion: Intermittent fasting was associated with enhanced hippocampal enzymatic antioxidants and Nrf2 levels under stress, while the lower prefrontal cortical MDA observed in the fasting-stressed group suggests attenuation of stress-associated oxidative damage. These findings identify a brain region-specific antioxidant response to IF. The integrated assessment of antioxidants, oxidative stress markers, and Nrf2 provides experimental evidence for an Nrf2-associated antioxidant response as a potential mechanism contributing to the effects of IF during stress.
| Item Type: | Proceeding Paper (Other) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Intermittent fasting, Chronic stress, Hippocampus, Prefrontal cortex, Oxidative stress |
| Subjects: | R Medicine > R Medicine (General) |
| Kulliyyahs/Centres/Divisions/Institutes (Can select more than one option. Press CONTROL button): | Kulliyyah of Medicine > Department of Basic Medical |
| Depositing User: | Prof.Dr. SIRAJUDEEN KUTTULEBBAI NAINAMOHAMED SALAM |
| Date Deposited: | 30 Oct 2026 16:38 |
| Last Update: | 30 Oct 2026 16:38 |
| Queue Number: | 2026-10-Q5911 |
| URI: | http://irep.iium.edu.my/id/eprint/132340 |
| Indexed In: | UNSPECIFIED |
Actions (login required)
 |
View Item |