Spirulina Platensis Attenuates the Associated Neurobehavioral and Inflammatory Response Impairments in Rats Exposed to Lead Acet

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Spirulina Platensis Attenuates the Associated Neurobehavioral and Inflammatory Response Impairments in Rats Exposed to Lead Acet Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 157 (2018) 255–265 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ecoenv Spirulina platensis attenuates the associated neurobehavioral and T inflammatory response impairments in rats exposed to lead acetate ⁎ Samah R. Khalila, , Hesham A. Khalifab, Sabry M. Abdel-Motalb, Hesham H. Mohammedc, Yaser H.A. Elewad,e, Hend Atta Mahmoudb a Forensic Medicine and Toxicology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Egypt b Pharmacology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Egypt c Veterinary Public Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Egypt d Histology and Cytology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Egypt e Laboratory of Anatomy, Department of Biomedical Sciences. Graduate school of Veterinary, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Keywords: Heavy metals are well known as environmental pollutants with hazardous impacts on human and animal health Caspase-3 because of their wide industrial usage. In the present study, the role of Spirulina platensis in reversing the oxi- Comet assay dative stress-mediated brain injury elicited by lead acetate exposure was evaluated. In order to accomplish this HSP70 aim, rats were orally administered with 300 mg/kg bw Spirulina for 15 d, before and simultaneously with an Lead intraperitoneal injection of 50 mg/kg bw lead acetate [6 injections through the two weeks]. As a result, the co- Open field test administration of Spirulina with lead acetate reversed the most impaired open field behavioral indices; however, Spirulina platensis this did not happen for swimming performance, inclined plane, and grip strength tests. In addition, it was observed that Spirulina diminished the lead content that accumulated in both the blood and the brain tissue of the exposed rats, and reduced the elevated levels of oxidative damage indices, and brain proinflammatory markers. Also, because of the Spirulina administration, the levels of the depleted biomarkers of antioxidant status and interleukin–10 in the lead-exposed rats were improved. Moreover, Spirulina protected the brain tissue (cerebrum and cerebellum) against the changes elicited by lead exposure, and also decreased the reactivity of HSP70 and Caspase–3 in both cerebrum and cerebellum tissues. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that Spirulina has a potential use as a food supplement in the regions highly polluted with heavy metals. 1. Introduction consumption because of its long history of usage as a food source and its ideal safety profile in human and animal studies (Karkos et al., 2011). Microalgae have been known for centuries as food and animal feed; Spirulina contains non-toxic cyanobacteria, but the methods of culti- they grow in freshwater and marine ecosystems as filamentous organ- vation without proper quality controls permit contamination by other isms (Vigani et al., 2015). Spirulina is a photosynthetic cyanobacterium toxin producer species prompting the presence of harmful cyanotoxins that is used commercially as a dietary supplement and food additive. which have general health concerns. Roy-Lachapelle et al. (2017) de- Currently, the annual production of Spirulina exceeds 3000 t on a dry tected the presence of cyanotoxins in various commercially available weight basis and is acknowledged by several companies in various products containing Spirulina at levels exceeding the tolerable daily nations. The extensive production of Spirulina is owing to its original intake levels, showed the significance of better screening by the ap- chemical composition [proteins, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and vita- propriate authorities of algal-based food supplements like spirulina to mins]. Besides, it is a source of bioactive components, for example, guarantee the safety of these products. phycocyanin, β-carotene, and allophycocyanin, which possess anti-in- The studies conducted in the past using Spirulina platensis as a flammatory and antioxidant properties (Wang et al., 2007). Also, it is supplement have proved that it has an ability to encounter the multi- able to manage numerous diseased conditions, including diabetes and organ toxicity caused by various medications and chemicals (Simsek obesity (Anitha andChandralekha, 2010), arthritis (Kumar et al., 2009), et al., 2009; Banji et al., 2013). Spirulina also reversed the modified cardiovascular diseases (Deng and Chow, 2010), and allergies (Vo et al., immune response and hepatic damage prompted by the herbicide 2012). Moreover, Spirulina is generally accepted to be safe for atrazine in the common carp (Khalil et al., 2017, 2018). It has been ⁎ Corresponding author at: Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, 44511 Zagazig, Egypt. E-mail address: [email protected] (S.R. Khalil). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2018.03.068 Received 6 February 2018; Received in revised form 22 March 2018; Accepted 24 March 2018 Available online 04 April 2018 0147-6513/ © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. S.R. Khalil et al. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 157 (2018) 255–265 hypothesized that the modulating potency of Spirulina, which includes considered to be safe. For experimental use, a working solution of the the central nervous system, could be considered a part of the ther- test compounds was prepared by diluting them with distilled water. apeutic regimes for neurodegenerative diseases, such as, Alzheimer's and Parkinsonism (Pabon et al., 2012), nigrostriatal dopamine system 2.2. Animals and experimental design injury (Strömberg et al., 2005), cerebrovascular accident models (Thaakur and Sravanthi, 2010), and for neurotoxicity by means of free Forty male Sprague–Dawley rats (150–200 g) obtained from the radical generation to protect the dopaminergic neurotransmission laboratory animals farm of Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (Zagazig (Tobón-Velasco et al., 2013). University, Egypt), were used in the present study. The animals were Lead is an environmental contaminant causing occupational health maintained in clean stainless steel cages under controlled environ- hazards that can be perceived in the environment and biological sys- mental conditions. The animals had free access to water and feed tems as it is widely used in industry (El-Nekeety et al., 2009). Both throughout the experimental period, and they were accommodated to environmental and occupational exposures cause significant and ser- the laboratory conditions for two weeks before being used in the ex- ious medical issues in the industries where lead and lead-based com- periments. The experiments were performed following the guidelines of ponents are used for the production of ammunition, bearing metals, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for the Care and Use of bronze and brass, cable covering, sheet lead, and solder. Besides, lead Laboratory Animals in scientific investigations and approved by the can be used in ceramics, weights or ballast, containers or tubes, oxides, Ethics of Animal Use in Research Committee (Zagazig University, and gasoline additives (Schwartz and Levin, 1991). Although the use of Egypt). lead as an additive in household paint has ceased, the lead-containing The animals were randomly assigned into four experimental groups; paint is nonetheless found in buildings built before the 1960s therefore, each group consisted of ten animals. The control group in- (Bradberry, 2016). Lead can enter the body by inhaling, by ingesting volved rats that were intraperitoneally (IP) injected with distilled water the contaminated soil and water, and by consuming food. After ab- as a vehicle. Spirulina-administered animals received Spirulina orally at sorption, lead accumulates in several tissues, such as kidney, liver, a dose of 300 mg/kg bw for 30 days via gastric tube (Simsek et al., brain, and bones, and impacts various biological activities at the mo- 2009). Lead acetate-exposed animals were injected (IP) with lead lecular, cellular, and intracellular levels, which may result in morpho- acetate at a dose of 50 mg/kg bw (three times a week) for two weeks logical perturbations that cannot be reversed even after the levels of (Ahmed et al., 2013). The animals in the Spirulina/Lead acetate co- lead have diminished in the body (Flora et al., 2006). treated group were orally administered with Spirulina for 15 days be- Studies on both animals and humans have demonstrated lead-in- fore and 15 days simultaneously with an IP injection of lead acetate at duced deleterious effects in hepatic tissue (Khalil et al., 2018), cardi- the same course as previously described. On the day of sacrifice, the ovascular, immune, and reproductive systems (Patra and Swarup, 2004; final body weight of each rat was recorded by weighing each animal in Shah and Altindag, 2005; Teijón et al., 2006), and nerve dysfunction all the groups for estimating the body weight changes. (Ademuyiwa et al., 2007). Among the organ systems influenced by lead, the nervous system is particularly sensitive to lead exposure, which, 2.3. Behavioral response evaluation therefore, has received much research consideration for a long time. Exposure to low doses of lead causes injurious impacts on the nervous In order to evaluate the behavioral changes provoked by lead system, including hindered cognition and memory, as well as debili- acetate exposure and/or Spirulina administration, the rats were trans- tated peripheral
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