On the protective effect of omega-3 against propionic acid-induced neurotoxicity in rat pups

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Backgrounds</p> <p>The investigation of the environmental contribution for developmental neurotoxicity is very important. Many environmental chemical exposures are now thought to contribute to the development of neurological disorders, especially in children. Results from animal studies may guide investigations of human populations toward identifying environmental contaminants and drugs that produce or protect from neurotoxicity and may help in the treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders.</p> <p>Objective</p> <p>To study the protective effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid on brain intoxication induced by propionic acid (PPA) in rats.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>24 young male Western Albino rats were enrolled in the present study. They were grouped into three equal groups; oral buffered PPA-treated group given a nuerotoxic dose of 250 mg/Kg body weight/day for 3 days; omega-3 - protected group given a dose of 100 mg/kg body weight/day omega-3 orally daily for 5 days followed by PPA for 3 days, and a third group as control given only phosphate buffered saline. Tumor necrosis factor-α, caspase-3, interlukin-6, gamma amino-buteric acid (GABA), serotonin, dopamine and phospholipids were then assayed in the rats brain's tissue of different groups.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The obtained data showed that PPA caused multiple signs of brain toxicity as measured by depletion of gamaaminobyteric acid (GABA), serotonin (5HT) and dopamine (DA) as three important neurotransmitters that reflect brain function. A high significant increase of interlukin-6 (Il-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) as excellent markers of proinflammation and caspase-3 as a proapotic marker were remarkably elevated in the intoxicated group of rats. Moreover, brain phospholipid profile was impaired in PPA-treated young rats recording lower levels of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylserine (PS) and phosphatidylcholine (PC).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Omega-3 fatty acids showed a protective effects on PPA - induced changes in rats as there was a remarkable amelioration of most of the measured parameters (i.e. higher GABA, 5HT, DA, PE, PS and PC) and lower Il-6, TNF-α and caspase-3.</p

The effect of a sublethal concentration of Solanum nigrum on some antioxidants in Biomphalaria arabica

Schistosomisis is endemic in many rural areas of developing countries. The life cycle of schistosomes is complex with two hosts, an intermediate snail host and a definitive human host. Biomphalaria arabica is the intermediate host for Schistosoma mansoni in Saudi Arabia. One method of controlling the disease is to break the life cycle at the intermediate host snail stage using molluscicides. Snails kill schistosomes by a mechanism involving production of reactive oxygen species. In this study malondialdehyde (MDA), and the antioxidants glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GP(x)) were determined in tissue homogenates of B. arabica treated with sublethal concentration (LC25) of the plant molluscicide Solanum nigrum. MDA, GSH and CAT were significantly increased in molluscicide-treated snails compared to controls (p < 0.000). GP(x) was decreased in treated snails. It therefore appears that a sublethal concentration of S. nigrum increases both ability of snail tissue to generate cytotoxic ROS and antioxidants for protection of the tissue against the cytotoxicity. The increase in the level of ROS would decrease snail- schistosome compatibility.King Saud Universit