Singh, Amanpreet, Garg, Vivek, Gupta, Saraswati et al. · Indian journal of experimental biology · 2002
This mouse study tested whether antioxidants—substances that protect cells from damage—might help with fatigue and despair-like behaviors. Researchers gave mice different treatments including antioxidant drugs (carvedilol and melatonin) and herbal products (St. John's Wort and GS-02), and found that these treatments reduced despair-like behavior and restored protective chemicals in the brain that were depleted by stress.
This study provides preliminary evidence that oxidative stress—an imbalance between harmful molecules and protective antioxidants—may play a role in ME/CFS. If confirmed in humans, it could open new treatment approaches using antioxidants or herbal remedies that differ from current standard-of-care medications.
This mouse model does not prove that oxidative stress causes ME/CFS in humans or that these same treatments would be effective in patients. Animal models of fatigue do not fully replicate ME/CFS's complex pathophysiology, including post-exertional malaise, immune dysfunction, and cognitive symptoms. Results cannot be directly translated to human treatment recommendations without clinical trials.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
The first block is for the primary paper and is the citation you should use in research work. The atlas-snapshot line only applies if you are specifically referring to this atlas’s reading of the paper on the date shown.
Primary citation
Singh, Amanpreet, Garg, Vivek, Gupta, Saraswati, & Kulkarni, Srinivas K (2002). Role of antioxidants in chronic fatigue syndrome in mice.. Indian journal of experimental biology. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/13677625/
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-singh-2002-role-antioxidants,
author = {Singh, Amanpreet and Garg, Vivek and Gupta, Saraswati and Kulkarni, Srinivas K},
title = {Role of antioxidants in chronic fatigue syndrome in mice.},
journal = {Indian journal of experimental biology},
year = {2002},
note = {PubMed: 13677625},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/singh-2002-role-antioxidants},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-29. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/singh-2002-role-antioxidants
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