Abstract
An acute ethanol load(50mmol/kg , i.p) resulted in an increase in peroxidation and a decrease in the levels of $\alpha$-tocopherol and ascorbate in rat cerebellum. Pretreatement with allopurinol(146$\mu$mol/kg, i.p) prevented the ethnol-induced increment in lipid peroxidation and decrease in $\alpha$-tocopherol content. However, the decrease of ascorbate was of greater magnitude when allopurinol was associated with ethanol. These results suggested that allopurinol. besides its action as a radical scavenger and xanthine oxidase inhibitor, might favor the regeneration of $\alpha$-tocopherol antioxidant acitviity was studied using ${\gamma}$-radiolysis in aerated ethanolic solutions. Even though allopurinol did not react by itself with $\alpha$-hydroxyethyl-peroxyl radicals [H3C-CH(OH)OO] , it enhance the $\alpha$-hydroxyethyl-peroxyl radical scavenging properties of $\alpha$tocopherol. The regeneration of $\alpha$-tocopherol from the $\alpha$-hydroxyethyl-peroxyl radical scavenging properties of $\alpha$-tocophero. The regeneration of $\alpha$-tocopherol from the $\alpha$-tocopherol radical by ascorbate remained as efficient in the presence of allopurinol as in its absence. The effects of allopurinol on the Vitamin E oxidation-reduction mechanism could be involoved in the beneficial effectof allopurinol on the biological cellular damages linked to free radical reactions.