Tehran University of Medical Sciences Acta Medica Iranica 0044-6025 52 2 2014 02 15 101 105 EN Bahareh Naghizadeh Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Pain Research Centers, School of Medicine, Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran. Mohammad Taghi Mansouri Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Atherosclerosis Research Centers, Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran. Behnam Ghorbanzadeh Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran. 2015 10 11 The study aimed to investigate the protective effects of crocin (Cro) against streptozotocin (STZ)-induced oxidative damage in rat striatum. Animals were randomly divided into four groups (five each). Group 1 (sham) were treated with normal saline (2 ml/kg, p.o.). Group 2 (STZ-lesioned or lesion) were injected with ICV-STZ (3 mg/kg bilaterally, on day 1 and 3) and treated with normal saline (2 ml/kg, p.o.) respectively, for 21 days. Group 3 (sham+Cro) were injected ICV on day 1 and 3 with artificial CSF and treated with crocin (100 mg/kg, p.o.) for 21 days. Group 4 (lesion+Cro) were injected with ICV STZ (3 mg/kg bilaterally, on day 1 and 3) and treated with crocin (100 mg/kg, p.o.) for 21 days. The homogenized striatum was used for measuring malondialdehyde (MDA), and total thiol contents besides glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity. Crocin treatment resulted in a significant reduction in MDA concentration as compared to the STZ-lesioned rats. Moreover, crocin produced a significant elevation in total thiol content and GPx activity, as compared with STZ-lesioned group. The present findings provide evidence that crocin may have a therapeutic significance for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). https://acta.tums.ac.ir/index.php/acta/article/view/4848 https://acta.tums.ac.ir/index.php/acta/article/download/4848/4270