The effect of sodium metabisulfite on visual evoked potentials in rats with hypercholesterolemia.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of hypercholesterolemia on visual evoked potentials (VEPs) and sulfite additional effects. Rats were assigned as follows: control (C), sulfite (S), hypercholesterolemia (H), vitamin E (E), sulfite + vitamin E (SE), hypercholesterolemia + sulfite (HS), hypercholesterolemia + vitamin E (HE), and hypercholesterolemia + sulfite + vitamin E (HSE). Hypercholesterolemic diet led significant increase in plasma cholesterol levels of rats. Brain thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) levels were significantly increased in S, E, SE, HE and HSE groups compared with C. TBARS levels were increased in HE and HSE groups as compared to HS group. Nitrite levels were decreased in S, SE, H, HS and HSE groups compared with C. Nitrite level was notably increased in the HE group compared with H group. Sulfite exposure prolonged N1 and P3 latencies of VEP in group S compared with C. Prolonged VEP latencies by sulfite were significantly decreased by vitamin E in SE group. Cholesterol rich diet increased VEP latencies in comparison with control latencies. Sulfite gave rise to an additional increase in P3 latency in HS group compared with H group. Vitamin E-treated animals had notably shortened latencies of VEP components in HE and HSE groups according to the H and HS groups, respectively.