Betaine as a methyl donor and an antioxidant agent in levodopa-induced hyperhomocysteinemia and oxidative stress in rat''s kidney

Background: betaine has been shown to be antioxidant and methyl donor effects in our recent studies. objectives: in the present study, the antioxidant and methyl donor properties of betaine in levodopa/benserazide-mediated hyperhomocysteinemia and levodopa-induced oxidative stress in rat's kidney were examined. methods: sprague-dawley male rats were divided into levodopa (ld), betaine (bet.), levodopa plus betaine (ld/bet.), levodopa plus benserazide (ld/ben.), levodopa plus betaine-benserazide (ld/bet.-ben.), and control groups. the experimental groups received ld (3 × 100 mg/kg), bet. (1.5% w/w of the total diet), ben. (3 × 25 mg/kg), and distilled water was given to controls for 10 consecutive days, orally by gavage. results: plasma total homocysteine (thcy) concentration decreased significantly in bet.-, ld/bet.-, and ld/bet.-ben.-treated rats compared to ld/ben. group. thiobarbituric acid reactive substances concentration (as a lipid peroxidation marker) in renal tissue reduced statistically in betaine group in comparison with ld and ld/ben. groups. renal catalase activity increased significantly in ld-treated rats when compared to controls. renal superoxide dismutase activity significantly decreased in ld-treated group when compared to ld/ben. group. however, there was not any significant difference in renal glutathione peroxidase (gpx) activity among the groups. conclusions: these findings indicate that ld and ld/ben. have side effects in kidney due to induction of hyperhomocysteinemia and oxidative stress. in contrast, betaine acts as a promising antioxidant and methyl donor agent versus ld-induced complications.