The Effect of Alkaline Water and Sodium Ascorbate on Glucose and Cortisol Levels During Acute Hyperthermic Stress in White Laboratory Rats

Stress can be a reason for some physiological and biological disorders in the body. The antioxidative defense system is necessary for the maintenance of redox homeostasis in the organisms. Alkaline water (AW) is in the focus of the scientific interest due to its antioxidative effect. The treatment with AW and sodium ascorbate (SA) is expected to have potential preventive effect on the organism to hyperthermic stress. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of AW and SA on glucose and cortisol levels during acute hyperthermic stress, in white female Wistar laboratory rats. The rats were divided into three groups, each having 10 subjects. They were exposed in hyperthermic conditions (41˚C) for 80 min, in 21 consecutive days in order to induce oxidative stress. The first group received drinkable water (control group), the second AW, and the third, AW and SA. Plasma glucose levels were determined by colorimetric method. Cortisol level was measured by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method (ELISA). The means were compared using the Tukey test. Differences were considered significant at a level of p<0.05. Our results showed that levels of glucose and cortisol were significantly higher in the group treated with AW on the 21^st day after treatment (p<0.0001), but not on the 7^th and 14^th day as compared to the control group. Also, co-treatment of animals with AW and SA had significantly increased the levels of glucose and cortisol on the 21^st day after treatment, indicating a synergistic effect. In conclusion, the individual action of AW or in synergism with SA caused a high protective effect on oxidative damage in white Wistar laboratory rats.