Trace elements cause oxidative damage in the brain of rats with induced hypotension

Oleic acid reduces oxidative stress in rat brain induced by some anticancer drugs

Oleic acid (OA) is a monounsaturated compound with many health-benefitting properties such as obesity prevention, increased insulin sensitivity, antihypertensive and immune-boosting properties, etc. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of oleic acid (OA) and some anticancer drugs against oxidative damage induced by nitropropionic acid (NPA) in rat brain. Six groups of Wistar rats were treated as follows: Group 1, (control); group 2, OA; group 3, NPA + OA; group 4, cyclophosphamide (CPP) + OA; group 5, daunorubicin (DRB) + OA; and group 6, dexrazoxane (DXZ) + OA. All compounds were administered intraperitoneally route, every 24 h for 5 days. Their brains were extracted to measure lipoperoxidation (TBARS), H2O2, Ca+2, Mg+2 ATPase activity, glutathione (GSH) and dopamine. Glucose, hemoglobin and triglycerides were measured in blood. In cortex GSH increased in all groups, except in group 2, the group 4 showed the highest increase of this biomarker. TBARS decrease, and dopamine increase in all regions of groups 4, 5 and 6. H2O2 increased only in cerebellum/medulla oblongata of group 5 and 6. ATPase expression decreased in striatum of group 4. Glucose increased in group 6, and hemoglobin increased in groups 4 and 5. These results suggest that the increase of dopamine and the antioxidant effect of oleic acid administration during treatment with oncologic agents could result in less brain injury.

Mutual Antagonism of PINK1/Parkin and PGC-1α Contributes to Maintenance of Mitochondrial Homeostasis in Rotenone-Induced Neurotoxicity

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive, selective, and age-related neurodegenerative disease. The pathogenic focus of PD is mitochondrial dysfunction. When mitochondrial homeostasis was damaged, it can lead to reactive oxygen species formation to further accelerate the accumulation of dysfunctional mitochondria, resulting in a vicious cycle harmful to the neuron. PINK1 and Parkin, two proteins that are linked to PD, play vital roles in mitophagy, which was very important in maintaining mitochondrial homeostasis. Thus, at present, we explored mitochondrial biogenesis, mitophagy, and fission/fusion in rotenone-induced dopamine neurotoxicity. In particular, we focused on interactions between the PINK1/Parkin pathway and PGC-1α in the regulation of mitochondrial homeostasis impairment. The results indicated that both the autophagy and mitophagy levels increased significantly and were accompanied by altered levels of PINK1/Parkin proteins in rotenone-induced neurotoxicity. PINK1 influenced mitochondrial biogenesis by inhibiting PGC-1α and mtTFA protein expression as well as the mtDNA copy number. PGC-1α, in turn, inhibited PINK1/Parkin protein expression and the mitophagy levels. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that PINK1 influenced mitochondrial fission/fusion by regulating MFN2 and phosphorylating Drp1. In summary, mutual antagonism of the PINK1/Parkin pathway and PGC-1α formed a balance that regulated mitochondrial biogenesis, fission/fusion, and mitophagy. These effects contributed to the maintenance of mitochondrial homeostasis in rotenone-induced neurotoxicity.