Abstract

Chronic stress is a significant contributor to age-related neurodegenerative processes, often mediated by excessive neuroinflammation in the cerebral cortex. This study investigates the neuroprotective potential of Ethylmethylhydroxypyridine Succinate (EMHPS), a known antioxidant and membrane stabilizer, in mitigating stress-induced pathology in the cerebral cortex of old rats. Aged male Wistar rats were subjected to a chronic unpredictable stress protocol, with a subset receiving daily therapeutic administration of EMHPS. We hypothesized that EMHPS would modulate key cellular and molecular markers of inflammation and oxidative stress. Our methods included quantitative analysis of microglial activation (Iba1 expression), astrogliosis (GFAP), and the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β) via immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. Furthermore, we assessed neuronal membrane integrity and lipid peroxidation products, linking EMHPS's known membrane-stabilizing properties to its neuroprotective effect. The results demonstrate that EMHPS significantly reduced microglial activation and cytokine levels in the stressed group, correlating with a preservation of neuronal morphology and a decrease in lipid peroxidation. These findings suggest that EMHPS limits stress-induced neuroinflammation, likely through its action on cellular membranes, positioning it as a promising therapeutic agent for age-related neuroinflammatory conditions.