Apoptosis and astrogliosis perturbations and expression of regulatory inflammatory factors and neurotransmitters in acrylamide-induced neurotoxicity under ω3 fatty acids protection in rats

Parental exposure to acrylamide disrupts sphingolipid metabolism and impairs transgenerational neurodevelopment in zebrafish (Danio rerio) offspring

Acrylamide exposure has become an emerging environmental and food safety issue, and its toxicity poses a potential threat to public health worldwide. However, limited studies have paid attention to the detrimental effects of parental exposure to acrylamide on the neurodevelopment in zebrafish offspring. In this study, the embryos were life-cycle exposed to acrylamide (0.125 and 0.25 mM) for 180 days. Subsequently, these zebrafish (F0) were allowed to mate, and their offspring (F1) were collected to culture in clean water from embryos to adults. We employed developmental and morphological observations, behavioral profiles, metabolomics analyses, and transcriptional level examinations to investigate the transgenerational neurotoxicity with parental exposure to acrylamide. Our results showed that parental exposure to acrylamide harms the birth, development, and behavior characterization of the F1 zebrafish larvae, including poor egg quality, increased mortality rates, abnormal heart rates, slowed swimming activity, and heightened anxiety behavior, and continuously disturbs mental health in F1 adult zebrafish. The transcriptional analysis showed that parental chronic exposure to acrylamide deteriorates the neurodevelopment in F1 larvae. In addition, metabolomics analyses revealed that sphingolipid metabolism disruption may be associated with the observed abnormal development and behavioral response in unexposed F1 offspring. Overall, the present study provides pioneer evidence that acrylamide induces transgenerational neurotoxicity via targeting and disrupting sphingolipid metabolism, which reveals intergenerational transmission of acrylamide exposure and unravels its spatiotemporal toxicological effect on neurodevelopment.

Metabolomic modelling and neuroprotective effects of carvacrol against acrylamide toxicity in rat's brain and sciatic nerve

The study aimed to investigate the harmful effects of acrylamide (AA), which forms in carbohydrate-rich foods at temperatures above 120°C, on the central and peripheral nervous systems and to evaluate the potential neuroprotective effects of carvacrol (CRV). Male Wistar Albino rats were subjected to AA (40 mg/kg/bw/day) and CRV (50 mg/kg/bw/day) for 15 days. Following the last administration, evaluations revealed disrupted gait, heightened thermal sensitivity and altered paw withdrawal thresholds in AA-exposed rats. Notably, AA reduced glutathione (GSH) and raised malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in both brain and sciatic nerve tissues. AA raised nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), caspase 3 and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) gene expressions while decreasing NR4A2. CRV co-administration mitigated gait abnormalities, elevated GSH levels and lowered MDA levels in both tissues. CRV also modulated gene expression, reducing Nrf2 and NF-κB while increasing NR4A2. Histopathological signs of AA-induced neurodegeneration and elevated glial fibrillary acidic protein levels observed in brain and sciatic nerve tissues were rectified with simultaneous administration of CRV, thereby demonstrating neuroprotective efficacy in both regions. This study is pioneering in demonstrating CRV's neuroprotective potential against AA-induced neurotoxicity in both central and peripheral nervous systems, effectively addressing limitations in the literature. In conclusion, the study revealed AA-induced neurodegeneration in the brain and sciatic nerve, with CRV significantly mitigating this neurotoxicity. This novel research underscores CRV's promise as a neuroprotective agent against AA-induced adverse effects in both the central and peripheral nervous systems.

Dietary Acrylamide: A Detailed Review on Formation, Detection, Mitigation, and Its Health Impacts

In today's fast-paced world, people increasingly rely on a variety of processed foods due to their busy lifestyles. The enhanced flavors, vibrant colors, and ease of accessibility at reasonable prices have made ready-to-eat foods the easiest and simplest choice to satiate hunger, especially those that undergo thermal processing. However, these foods often contain an unsaturated amide called 'Acrylamide', known by its chemical name 2-propenamide, which is a contaminant formed when a carbohydrate- or protein-rich food product is thermally processed at more than 120 °C through methods like frying, baking, or roasting. Consuming foods with elevated levels of acrylamide can induce harmful toxicity such as neurotoxicity, hepatoxicity, cardiovascular toxicity, reproductive toxicity, and prenatal and postnatal toxicity. This review delves into the major pathways and factors influencing acrylamide formation in food, discusses its adverse effects on human health, and explores recent techniques for the detection and mitigation of acrylamide in food. This review could be of interest to a wide audience in the food industry that manufactures processed foods. A multi-faceted strategy is necessary to identify and resolve the factors responsible for the browning of food, ensure safety standards, and preserve essential food quality traits.

Effects of acrylamide exposure during pregnancy and lactation on the development of myelin sheath of corpus callosum in offspring rats

Acrylamide is an alkene known to induce neurotoxicity in humans and experimental animals. However, the effects of acrylamide on the development of myelin sheath are unclear. The present study was to explore the effects of acrylamide exposure during pregnancy and lactation on the development of myelin sheath in offspring rats. Four groups of thirty-two pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to 0, 4.5, 9 and 18 mg/kg BW acrylamide by gavage from gestational day 15 to postnatal day 13. The corpus callosum of nine offspring rats per group were dissected in postpartum day 14. Structural changes and lipid contents in myelin sheaths were examined by transmission electron microscopy(TEM) and Luxol Fast Blue staining(LFB). The expression of MBP and PLP was evaluated by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. TEM showed that the myelin sheaths in the 18 mg/kg group were disordered compared with control group. Luxol Fast Blue staining gradually decreased with increasing acrylamide maternal exposure. The immunohistochemistry and Western Blotting results showed that maternal exposure to acrylamide caused a decreasing trend in MBP and PLP in the corpus callosum of rats at postnatal day 14. Furthermore, these reduced protein levels may be neurodevelopmental toxicity's mechanism in response to maternal exposure to acrylamide.

Morphine aggravates inflammatory, behavioral, and hippocampal structural deficits in septic rats

Although pain and sepsis are comorbidities of intensive care units, reported data on whether pain control by opioid analgesics could alter inflammatory and end-organ damage caused by sepsis remain inconclusive. Here, we tested the hypothesis that morphine, the gold standard narcotic analgesic, modifies behavioral and hippocampal structural defects induced by sepsis in male rats. Sepsis was induced with cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) and behavioral studies were undertaken 24 h later in septic and/or morphine-treated animals. The induction of sepsis or exposure to morphine (7 mg/kg) elicited similar: (i) falls in systolic blood pressure, (ii) alterations in spatial memory and learning tested by the Morris water maze, and (iii) depression of exploratory behavior measured by the new object recognition test. These hemodynamic and cognitive defects were significantly exaggerated in septic rats treated with morphine compared with individual interventions. Similar patterns of amplified inflammatory (IL-1β) and histopathological signs of hippocampal damage were noted in morphine-treated septic rats. Additionally, the presence of intact opioid receptors is mandatory for the induction of behavioral and hemodynamic effects of morphine because no such effects were observed when the receptors were blocked by naloxone. That said, our findings suggest that morphine provokes sepsis manifestations of inflammation and interrelated hemodynamic, behavioral, and hippocampal deficits.

Platelet-rich plasma ameliorates neurotoxicity induced by silver nanoparticles in male rats via modulation of apoptosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress

The widespread use of silver in various forms raises concerns about its potential adverse effects. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) can enter the brain and subsequently induce neurotoxicity. As a source of diverse growth factors and for its cytoprotective properties, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has received considerable attention in regenerative medicine. Our aim was to estimate the toxic effects of AgNPs on the rat brain and assess the possible protective effects of PRP against AgNPs induced neurotoxicity. A total of 40 adult male rats were divided into four groups (n = 10), namely the control, AgNPs, AgNPs+PRP, and auto-recovery groups. AgNPs were given intraperitoneally (i.p.) at a 10 mg/kg dose.bw daily for 28 days. PRP was given (a day after AgNPs treatment) i.p. at a dose of 0.5 mL/kg.bw twice weekly for 3 weeks. Rats in the auto-recovery group were left without treatment for 3 weeks after AgNP toxicity. Serum and brain tissue samples were collected for assessment of proinflammatory cytokines, oxidative stress markers, as well as the expression levels of apoptotic markers. Brain histopathological and immunohistochemistry examinations were done. AgNPs significantly increased oxidative stress markers and proinflammatory cytokines, decreased antioxidant defense markers, and induced apoptosis and histopathological brain injuries. However, PRP treatment restored brain oxidant/antioxidant balance, attenuated the inflammatory state, prevented apoptosis, and improved the brain histopathological lesions induced by AgNPs, with no significant improvements shown by auto-recovery group. Our data provided a novel protective effect for PRP against AgNPs-induced neurotoxicity due to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptotic effects.

Investigation of the effects of swimming exercises in rats given acrylamide

BACKGROUND

Acrylamide is a toxic substance used in industrial and laboratory processes. Acrylamide exposure has a toxic effect on many systems. Protective mechanisms should be developed against the effects caused by acrylamide.

OBJECTIVE

In our study, we investigated whether exercise has a protective effect against the changes that acrylamide will cause in pancreas.

METHODS

32 adult Sprague-Dawley male rats were used. Control group was given only saline. Exercise group was applied swimming exercise for 1hour daily for 4 weeks. Acrylamide group was given 50mg/kg acrylamide by gavage for 4 weeks. Acrylamide+exercise group was applied 50mg/kg acrylamide for 4 weeks and swimming exercise for 1hour daily. After the experiment, fasting blood glucose and oral glucose tolerance test measurements were performed. Then, blood and pancreas samples were taken.

RESULTS

Acrylamide exposure caused an increase in fasting blood glucose and oral glucose tolerance, a decrease in insulin levels and oxidative stress in acrylamide group. In exercise group, these values were similar to control group and no significant change was observed in acrylamide+exercise group. While there was an increase in the number of alpha cells in acrylamide group compared to the other groups, here was a decrease in the number of beta cells compared to control group.

CONCLUSION

We can say that acrylamide causes changes in the islets of Langerhans by affecting alpha and beta cell numbers. The protective effect of exercise on beta and alpha cell mass was not statistically significant in the acrylamide+exercise group. When the results were examined, the decrease in oxidative stress and the higher number of beta and alpha cells in the acrylamide+exercise group compared to the acrylamide group suggested that 4 weeks of swimming exercise may have an effect on acrylamide exposure.

Hyaluronic acid-functionalized redox-responsive organosilica nanoparticles for targeted resveratrol delivery to attenuate acrylamide-induced toxicity

The purpose of this study is to construct a redox-responsive and targeted nanoparticle to effectively deliver resveratrol (Res) for alleviating acrylamide (ACR) toxicity. Here, Res-loaded tetrasulfide-containing organosilica nanoparticles (DSMSNs) functionalized with hyaluronic acid on the surface (DSMSNs@Res@HA) were prepared. The DSMSNs@Res@HA nanoparticles were spherical with an encapsulation efficiency of 46.68 ± 1.64 % and a hydrated particle size of about 237.73 nm. As expected, DSMSNs@Res@HA were capable of significantly protecting PC12 cells against ACR-induced damage in oxidative stress, mitochondrial membrane potential decrease, and cell apoptosis compared with free Res and DSMSNs@Res at the equivalent dose. Moreover, DSMSNs@Res@HA could be biodegraded and released Res in response to GSH stimulus. In vivo experiments suggested that DSMSNs@Res@HA significantly reduced histological damage in the brain, liver, and kidney of rats compared with free Res and DSMSNs@Res. After oral administration of DSMSNs@Res@HA, the intestinal flora of ACR-treated rats could be effectively regulated by improving the species uniformity and abundance as well as recovering the species diversity. According to these findings, DSMSNs@Res@HA is worth further investigation as a potential therapeutic nanomedicine to alleviate ACR toxicity and restore gut microbiota diversity.

Research Progress of Programmed Cell Death Induced by Acrylamide

Acrylamide exposure through environment pollution and diet is very common in daily life. With the deepening of the study on the toxicity of acrylamide, it has attracted widespread attention for the effects of acrylamide on multiple organs through affecting a variety of programmed cell death. Multiple studies have shown that acrylamide could exert its toxic effect by inducing programmed cell death, but its specific molecular mechanism is still unclear. In this review, the research on the main forms of programmed cell death (apoptosis, autophagy, and programmed necrosis) induced by acrylamide and their possible mechanisms are reviewed. This review may provide basic data for further research of acrylamide and prevention of its toxicity.

Involvement of LARP7 in Activation of SIRT1 to Inhibit NF-κB Signaling Protects Microglia from Acrylamide-Induced Neuroinflammation

Acrylamide (AM) is a potent neurotoxin and carcinogen that is mainly formed by the Maillard reaction of asparagine with starch at high temperatures. However, the toxicity mechanism underlying AM has not been investigated from a proteomic perspective, and the regulation of protein expression by AM remains poorly understood. This research was the first to utilize proteomics to explore the mechanism of AM exposure-induced neuroinflammation. Target proteins were obtained by differential protein analysis, functional annotation, and enrichment analysis of proteomics. Then, molecular biology methods, including Western blot, qPCR, and immunofluorescence, were used to verify the results and explore possible mechanisms. We identified 100 key differential metabolites by proteomic analysis, which was involved in the occurrence of various biological functions. Among them, the KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed that the differential proteins were enriched in the P53 pathway, sulfur metabolism pathway, and ferroptosis. Finally, the differential target protein we locked was LARP7. Molecular biological verification found that AM exposure inhibited the expression of LARP7 and induced the burst of inflammation, while SRT1720 agonist treatment showed no effect on LARP7, but significant changes in inflammatory factors and NF-κB. Taken together, these findings suggested that AM may activate NF-κB to induce neuroinflammation by inhibiting the LARP7-SIRT1 pathway. And our study provided a direction for AM-induced neurotoxicity through proteomics and multiple biological analysis methods.

Mitochondrial dysfunction promotes the necroptosis of Purkinje cells in the cerebellum of acrylamide-exposed rats

Acrylamide (ACR) is a common neurotoxicant that can induce central-peripheral neuropathy in human beings. ACR from occupational setting and foods poses a potential threat to people's health. Purkinje cells are the only efferent source of cerebellum, and their output is responsible for coordinating motor activity. Recent studies have reported that Purkinje cell injury is one of the earliest neurotoxicity at any dose rate of ACR. However, the mechanism underlying ACR-mediated damage to Purkinje cells remains unclear. This research aimed to investigate whether necroptosis is involved in ACR-induced Purkinje cell death and its regulatory mechanism. In this study, rats were treated with ACR (40 mg/kg/every other day) for 6 weeks to establish an animal model of ACR neuropathy. Furthermore, an intervention experiment was achieved by rapamycin (RAPA), which is commonly used to activate mitophagy and maintain mitochondrial homeostasis. The results demonstrated ACR exposure caused necroptosis of Purkinje cells, mitochondrial dysfunction, and inflammatory response. By contrast, RAPA alleviated mitochondrial dysfunction and inhibited activation of necroptosis signaling pathway following ACR. In conclusion, our findings suggest that mitochondrial dysfunction and activation of necroptotic signaling are associated with the loss of Purkinje cells in ACR poisoning, which can be a potential therapeutic target for ACR neurotoxicity.

Neuroprotection by melatonin against acrylamide-induced brain damage in pinealectomized rats

The current study aimed to evaluate the neuroprotective effect of exogenous melatonin against acrylamide (ACR)-induced oxidative stress and inflammatory and apoptotic responses in the brain tissues in pinealectomized rats (PINX). ACR is a toxic chemical carcinogen that occurs owing to the preparation of carbohydrate-rich foods at high temperatures or other thermal processes. The rats who underwent pinealectomy and sham pinealectomy were exposed to ACR (25 mg/kg b.w., orally) alone or with exogenous melatonin (10 mg/kg b.w., i.p.) for 21 consecutive days. Alterations of brain oxidant/antioxidant status, dopamine (DA), Brain-Derived Neurotropic Factor (BDNF) inflammatory mediator and apoptosis during exposure to ACR in pinealectomized rats were more than without pinealectomized rats. Histopathological changes were more in brain tissue of pinealectomized rats after ACR administration. Exogenous melatonin treatment in ACR -exposed rats following pinealectomy increased the activities of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) and improved brain total antioxidant status (TAS) compared to PINX+ACR. Moreover, melatonin suppressed lipid peroxidation, inflammatory pathways and apoptosis in ACR-intoxicated brain tissues. In addition, after exposure to ACR on pinealectomized rats, melatonin treatment ameliorated BDNF and DA levels in brain tissues. Furthermore, exogenous melatonin intervention in ACR-intoxicated rats significantly rescued the architecture of neuronal tissues. In summary, the present study, for the first time, suggested that exogenous melatonin treatment could reduce oxidative damage by increasing the activities of antioxidant enzymes, inhibiting lipid peroxidation and inflammation, and improving histopathological alterations in the brain tissue of pinealectomized rats after ACR administration.

The involvement of oxidative stress, neuronal lesions, neurotransmission impairment, and neuroinflammation in acrylamide-induced neurotoxicity in C57/BL6 mice

Acrylamide (ACR) is a typical environmental contaminant, presenting potential health hazards that have been attracting increasing attention. Its neurotoxicity is known to cause significant damage to health. However, the mechanisms of ACR-induced neurotoxicity require further clarification. This study uses a mouse model to explore how ACR-induced oxidative stress, neuronal lesions, neurotransmission impairment, and neuroinflammation mutually contribute to neurotoxicity. A distinct increase in the cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, malondialdehyde (MDA), and 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) content and a significant decrease in the glutathione (GSH) content after ACR exposure were indicative of oxidative stress. Moreover, ACR caused neurological defects associated with gait abnormality and neuronal loss while suppressing the acetylcholine (ACh) and dopamine (DA) levels and increasing the protein expression of α-synuclein (α-syn), further inhibiting cholinergic and dopaminergic neuronal function. Additionally, ACR treatment caused an inflammatory response via nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) activation and increased the protein expression of NOD-like receptor protein-3 (NLRP3), consequently activating the NLRP3 inflammasome constituents, including cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase 1 (Caspase-1), apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing CARD (ASC), N domain gasdermin D (N-GSDMD), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and IL-18. The results revealed the underlying molecular mechanism of ACR-induced neurotoxicity via oxidative stress, neurotransmission impairment, and neuroinflammation-related signal cascade. This information will further improve the development of an alternative pathway strategy for investigating the risk posed by ACR. The hypothetical mechanism of ACR-induced neurotoxicity in vivo.

Quercetin Abrogates Oxidative Neurotoxicity Induced by Silver Nanoparticles in Wistar Rats

This study aimed to investigate the oxidative neurotoxicity induced by silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and assess the neuroprotective effects of quercetin against this toxicity. Forty adult male rats were divided into four equal groups: control, AgNPs (50 mg/kg intraperitoneally), quercetin (50 mg/kg orally), and quercetin + AgNPs. After 30 days, blood and brain tissue samples were collected for further studies. AgNP exposure increased lipid peroxidation and decreased glutathione peroxidase, catalase, and superoxide dismutase activities in brain tissue. AgNPs decreased serum acetylcholine esterase activity and γ-aminobutyric acid concentrations. AgNPs upregulated tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β, and Bax transcript levels. AgNPs reduced the transcripts of claudin-5, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, paraoxonase, nuclear factor-erythroid factor 2 (Nrf2), and Bcl-2. Histopathologically, AgNPs caused various degenerative changes and neuronal necrosis associated with glial cell reactions. AgNPs increased the immunohistochemical staining of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in the cerebrum and cerebellum. Oral treatment with quercetin efficiently counteracted the opposing effects of AgNPs on brain tissue via modulation of tight junction proteins, Nrf2, and paraoxonase, and its positive mechanism in modulating pro-inflammatory cytokines and the downregulation of GFAP expression, and the apoptotic pathway. AgNPs also altered the severity of histopathological lesions and modulated GFAP immunostaining in the examined tissue.

Short-term exposure to acrylamide exacerbated metabolic disorders and increased metabolic toxicity susceptibility on adult male mice with diabetes

Diabetes mellitus is a common endocrine metabolic disorder, and previous studies have shown that diabetics are more sensitive to the toxic environmental contaminants. Acrylamide (ACR) is both an industrially multipurpose compound and a common endogenous food contaminant to which people are frequently exposed and at high risk. However, the toxicity of ACR on diabetes hasn't attracted much attention. In this study, both healthy mice and diabetic mice received ACR administration orally to investigate the ACR-induced metabolic toxicity, mechanism and susceptibility to ACR toxicity in adult diabetic male mice. The results showed that ACR significantly increased FBG level and decreased bodyweight, serum lipid and liver lipid biomarkers (TC, TG, LDL-C, HDL-C) levels as well as expression of lipid and glucose metabolism-related genes in diabetic mice, indicating that ACR can exacerbate metabolic disorders of glucose and lipid in diabetic male mice. Moreover, ACR exposure significantly increased levels of MDA and COX-2), decreased GSH level and antioxidant enzyme activity (SOD, GSH-PX and CAT) by downregulating expression of Nrf2 and Keap1 in diabetic mice. Factorial analysis showed ACR had a more significant disturbance in diabetic mice compared with healthy mice. Our results indicated that ACR exposure can cause oxidative stress and inflammatory damage, which can exacerbate abnormal glucose and lipid metabolism. This work helps to elucidate the effects and underlying mechanisms of ACR-induced metabolic toxicity in adults with diabetes.

PPARα agonist relieves spinal cord injury in rats by activating Nrf2/HO-1 via the Raf-1/MEK/ERK pathway

Objective: To observe the inhibitory effects of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) agonist palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) on inflammatory responses and oxidative stress injury in rats with spinal cord injury (SCI).

Methods: The SCI rat model was established using modified Allen's method and the changes in rats’ joint motion were observed by Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan locomotor rating scale (BBB scale) at 1, 3 and 7 days after modeling, HE Staining and Nissl Staining has been carried out to evaluate the pathological lesion of spinal cords in rats. Besides, Immunohistochemical (IHC) was performed to detect the reactive oxygen species (ROS), expression levels of acrylamide (ACR) and manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) in rat spinal cords, and Western Blotting was applied to measure protein expression levels of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), B cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), BCL-2 associated X (BAX), phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), protein kinase B (Akt), phosphorylated (p)-Akt, HO-1, Nrf2, trithorax-1 (TRX-1), Raf-1, MEK, ERK, p-MEK and p-ERK.

Results: The PPARα agonist PEA could alleviate SCI in rats, inhibit inflammatory responses, mitigate oxidative stress injury, reduce the apoptotic rate and promote SCI rats motor function recovery. In addition, the PPARα agonist PEA was able to activate the phosphorylation of MEK and ERK, stimulate Nrf-2 translocation into the nucleus and up-regulate the expressions of HO-1 and TRX-1.

Conclusion: PPARα agonist PEA can relieve SCI in rats by inhibiting inflammatory responses and oxidative stress, which may involve a mechanism associated with the activation of Nrf2/HO-1 via the Raf-1/MEK/ERK pathway.

Acrylamide induces intrinsic apoptosis and inhibits protective autophagy via the ROS mediated mitochondrial dysfunction pathway in U87-MG cells

Acrylamide (ACR) is a potential neurotoxin commonly found in the environment, as well as in food repeatedly exposed heat processing, but the mechanism underpinning ACR-induced neurotoxicity remains unclear. This study investigated the potential association and underlying signal transduction of oxidative stress, apoptosis, and autophagy associated with ACR-triggered neurotoxicity. Therefore, U87-MG cells were treated with varying ACR concentrations, while the cell activity reduction depended on the specific dosage and time parameters. Biochemical analyses showed that ACR significantly increased the reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA), and Ca²⁺ levels while decreasing the glutathione (GSH) levels and mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), finally leading to a higher cell apoptotic rate. Moreover, ACR induced U87-MG cell apoptosis and autophagy via ROS-triggered expression in the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway, NF-κB activation, and autophagosome accumulation. In addition, the autophagosome accumulation induced by ACR could probably be ascribed to blocked autophagic flux, inhibiting the autophagosomes from combining with lysosomes, while the inhibition of autophagy caused by ACR further promoted the initiation of apoptosis. In conclusion, the results indicated that the apoptotic and autophagic pathways responded to ACR-induced neurotoxicity. However, inhibited protective autophagy further promoted apoptotic progression. New insights may be derived from these cellular responses that can help develop diverse pathway strategies for assessing the risk posed by ACR.HIGHLIGHTSACR induced mitochondrial- and caspase-dependent apoptosis in U87-MG cells.ACR regulated the autophagic markers and blocked autophagic flux in U87-MG cells.ACR inhibited protective autophagy and promoted apoptotic initiation in U87-MG cells.

Acrylamide Induced Oxidative Cellular Senescence in Embryonic Fibroblast Cell Line (NIH 3T3): A Protection by Carvacrol

Background: Stress-induced cellular senescence is a perpetual state of cell cycle arrest occurring in proliferating cells in response to stressful conditions. It is believed that oxidative stress plays a unique role in this process. As a reactive chemical compound that can induce oxidative stress, acrylamide is widely applied in several fields. Carvacrol is a liquid phenolic monoterpenoid found in essential oils of some plants and is known for its antioxidant and anticarcinogenic properties. Objectives: The current study aimed to evaluate the effects of carvacrol on oxidative stress and cellular senescence induced by acrylamide in the NIH 3T3 cell line. Methods: NIH 3T3 embryonic fibroblast cells were exposed to different concentrations of acrylamide, carvacrol, and H2O2 in a cell culture medium. The level of β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) activity, as a marker of cellular senescence, was measured using staining and quantitative assays. Furthermore, to measure oxidative stress parameters, the content of glutathione and lipid peroxidation were determined. Results: Acrylamide could induce premature senescence evident by the elevated lipid peroxidation and SA-β-gal activity and declined cell viability and glutathione. Moreover, carvacrol showed beneficial effects on both acrylamide- and H2O2-induced cellular senescence by significantly reversing or subsiding the effect of oxidative stress and mediating its consequences. Conclusions: It can be concluded that carvacrol has protective effects against oxidative cellular senescence induced by acrylamide in the NIH 3T3 cell line.

Technological Prospecting: Mapping Patents on L-asparaginases from Extremophilic Microorganisms

BACKGROUND

L-asparaginase (L-ASNase, L-asparagine amidohydrolase, E.C.3.5.1.1) is an enzyme with wide therapeutic applicability. Currently, the commercialized L-ASNase comes from mesophilic organisms, presenting low specificity to the substrate and limitations regarding thermostability and active pH range. Such factors prevent the maximum performance of the enzyme in different applications. Therefore, extremophilic organisms may represent important candidates for obtaining amidohydrolases with particular characteristics desired by the biotechnological market.

OBJECTIVES

The present study aims to carry out a technological prospecting of patents related to the L-asparaginases derived from extremophilic organisms, contributing to pave the way for further rational investigation and application of such enzymes.

METHODS

This patent literature review used six patents databases: The LENS, WIPO, EPO, USPTO, Patent Inspiration, and INPI.

RESULTS

It was analyzed 2860 patents, and 14 were selected according to combinations of descriptors and study criteria. Approximately 57.14% of the patents refer to enzymes obtained from archaea, especially from the speciesPyrococcus yayanosii (35.71% of the totality).

CONCLUSION

The present prospective study has singular relevance since there are no recent patent reviews for L-asparaginases, especially produced by extremophilic microorganisms. Although such enzymes have well-defined applications, corroborated by the patents compiled in this review, the most recent studies allude to new uses, such as the treatment of infections. The characterization of the catalytic profiles allows us to infer that there are potential sources still unexplored. Hence, the search for new L-ASNases with different characteristics will continue to grow in the coming years and, possibly, ramifications of the technological routes will be witnessed.

Analysis of silymarin-modulating effects against acrylamide-induced cerebellar damage in male rats: Biochemical and pathological markers

BACKGROUND

Acrylamide (ACR) is a well-proven neurotoxin and potential food carcinogen in humans and rodent models. Silymarin (SIL) is a flavonoid mixture isolated from seeds, leaves, and fruits of Silymarin marianum (milk thistle) that possesses a free-radical scavenging effect.

OBJECTIVE

In this work, the primary focus was to investigate the efficacy of SIL to mitigate ACR-induced subacute neurotoxic effects and oxidative changes in rat cerebellum.

METHODS

Adult male rats were treated intraperitoneally with ACR (50 mg/kg) with or without SIL (160 mg/kg). The neuropathology and biochemical parameters viz. lipid peroxidation (measured as levels of malondialdehyde or MDA), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT), dopamine (DA), and cathepsin D (CTSD) in the cerebellum have been evaluated.

RESULTS

The data showed that ACR induced redox disruptions as measured by increased MDA levels and inhibition of CAT, SOD, and GPx antioxidant enzyme activities. Besides, cerebellar monoamine neurotransmitters, 5-HT and DA, were depleted in ACR-treated rats. Furthermore, ACR administration caused a significant elevation of CTSD activity, indicating that ACR could trigger apoptosis or apoptosis-like death. At the tissue level, cerebellar cortex sections from ACR-treated animals were characterized by severe neuronal damage. The administration of SIL to ACR-treated rats remarkably alleviated all the aforementioned ACR-induced effects.

CONCLUSION

SIL has a potent therapeutic effect against ACR-induced cerebellar neurotoxicity in experimental rats via the attenuation of oxidative/antioxidative responses and the inhibition of CTSD-activity.

Metabolomic Profiling and Neuroprotective Effects of Purslane Seeds Extract Against Acrylamide Toxicity in Rat's Brain

AIM

Acrylamide (ACR) is an environmental pollutant with well-demonstrated neurotoxic and neurodegenerative effects in both humans and experimental animals. The present study aimed to investigate the neuroprotective effect of Portulaca oleracea seeds extract (PSE) against ACR-induced neurotoxicity in rats and its possible underlying mechanisms. PSE was subjected to phytochemical investigation using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) coupled with quantitative time of flight mass spectrometry (qTOF-MS). Multivariate, clustering and correlation data analyses were performed to assess the overall effects of PSE on ACR-challenged rats. Rats were divided into six groups including negative control, ACR-intoxicated group (10 mg/kg/day), PSE treated groups (200 and 400 mg/kg/day), and ACR + PSE treated groups (200 and 400 mg/kg/day, respectively). All treatments were given intragastrically for 60 days. PSE markedly ameliorated brain damage as evidenced by the decreased lactate dehydrogenase (LDL), increased acetylcholinesterase (AchE) activities, as well as the increased brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) that were altered by the toxic dose of ACR. In addition, PSE markedly attenuated ACR-induced histopathological alterations in the cerebrum, cerebellum, hippocampus and sciatic nerve and downregulated the ACR-inclined GFAP expression. PSE restored the oxidative status in the brain as indicated by glutathione (GSH), lipid peroxidation and increased total antioxidant capacity (TAC). PSE upregulated the mRNA expression of protein kinase B (AKT), which resulted in an upsurge in its downstream cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB)/BDNF mRNA expression in the brain tissue of ACR-intoxicated rats. All exerted PSE beneficial effects were dose-dependent, with the ACR-challenged group received PSE 400 mg/kg dose showed a close clustering to the negative control in both unsupervised principal component analysis (PCA) and supervised orthogonal partial least square discriminant analysis (OPLS-Da) alongside with the hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA). The current investigation confirmed the neuroprotective capacity of PSE against ACR-induced brain injury, and our findings indicate that AKT/CREB pathways and BDNF synthesis may play an important role in the PSE-mediated protective effects against ACR-triggered neurotoxicity.

Date Palm Pollen Extract Avert Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiomyopathy Fibrosis and Associated Oxidative/Nitrosative Stress, Inflammatory Cascade, and Apoptosis-Targeting Bax/Bcl-2 and Caspase-3 Signaling Pathways

Simple Summary

The use of date palm pollen ethanolic extract (DPPE) is a conventional approach in improving the side-effects induced by Doxorubicin (DOX).DPPE mitigated DOX-induced body and heart weight changes and ameliorated DOX-induced elevated cardiac injury markers. In addition, serum cardiac troponin I concentrations (cTnI), troponin T (cTnT), and N-terminal NBP and cytosolic (Ca⁺²) were amplified by alleviating the inflammatory and oxidative injury markers and decreasing histopathological lesions severity. DPPE decreased DOX-induced heart injuries by mitigating inflammation, fibrosis, and apoptosis through its antioxidant effect. To reduce DOX-induced oxidative stress injuries and other detrimental effects, a combined treatment of DPPE is advocated.

Abstract

Doxorubicin (DOX) has a potent antineoplastic efficacy and is considered a cornerstone of chemotherapy. However, it causes several dose-dependent cardiotoxic results, which has substantially restricted its clinical application. This study was intended to explore the potential ameliorative effect of date palm pollen ethanolic extract (DPPE) against DOX-induced cardiotoxicity and the mechanisms underlying it. Forty male Wistar albino rats were equally allocated into Control (CTR), DPPE (500 mg/kg bw for 4 weeks), DOX (2.5 mg/kg bw, intraperitoneally six times over 2 weeks), and DPPE + DOX-treated groups. Pre-coadministration of DPPE with DOX partially ameliorated DOX-induced cardiotoxicity as DPPE improved DOX-induced body and heart weight changes and mitigated the elevated cardiac injury markers activities of serum aminotransferases, lactate dehydrogenase, creatine kinase, and creatine kinase-cardiac type isoenzyme. Additionally, the concentration of serum cardiac troponin I (cTnI), troponin T (cTnT), N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-pro BNP), and cytosolic calcium (Ca⁺²) were amplified. DPPE also alleviated nitrosative status (nitric oxide) in DOX-treated animals, lipid peroxidation and antioxidant molecules as glutathione content, and glutathione peroxidase, catalase, and superoxide dismutase activities and inflammatory markers levels; NF-κB p65, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6. As well, it ameliorated the severity of histopathological lesions, histomorphometric alteration and improved the immune-staining of the pro-fibrotic (TGF-β1), pro-apoptotic (caspase-3 and Bax), and anti-apoptotic (Bcl-2) proteins in cardiac tissues. Collectively, pre-coadministration of DPPE partially mitigated DOX-induced cardiac injuries via its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-fibrotic, and anti-apoptotic potential.

Vitamin E and 5-amino salicylic acid ameliorates acrylamide-induced peripheral neuropathy by inhibiting caspase-3 and inducible nitric oxide synthase immunoexpression

Acrylamide is a fundamental cause of accidental toxicity in humans. This study aimed to investigate the neuroprotective effect of vitamin E (Vit. E), 5-amino salicylic acid (5-ASA), and their combination against acrylamide-induced sciatic nerve toxicity. For this purpose, 25 male Wister rats were divided into 5 groups: control, acrylamide, acrylamide + Vit. E, acrylamide + 5-ASA, and acrylamide + Vit. E + 5-ASA. Food intake and body weight were assessed after 7 days. Furthermore, the gait score was also evaluated for each rat. The sciatic nerve was dissected, fixed, and processed for routine light and electron microscopic examination. Haematoxylin and eosin, osmium tetroxide for myelin sheath, and toluidine blue for semithin section were used. In addition, immunohistochemistry for caspase-3 and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) were performed. The results showed reduced food intake and body weight in acrylamide rats. Abnormal gait score was also recorded in acrylamide rats with significant improvement in Vit. E, and Vit. E + 5-ASA groups. Histologically, Vit. E and 5-ASA provided potential protection against decreased sciatic nerve axon density, disrupted myelination, and the alteration in the immunohistochemistry induced by acrylamide. Vit. E and its combination with 5-ASA provided more evident protection compared to 5-ASA alone. 5-ASA significantly decreased apoptotic cell death (caspase-3 immunoexpression) while Vit. E failed. Both Vit. E and 5-ASA significantly decreased iNOS immunoexpression in the sciatic nerve, where 5-ASA was superior to Vit. E. These findings concluded that both Vit. E and 5-ASA protect against acrylamide-induced peripheral neuropathy through downregulation of both caspase-3 and iNOS immunoexpression.

Date palm fruit extract ameliorated pancreatic apoptosis, endocrine dysfunction and regulatory inflammatory cytokines in Streptozotocin-induced diabetes in rats

The current work studied the mechanism(s) and ability by which date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) fruit extract (DPE) inspired a glucose-lowering impact in rats suffering from diabetes. Forty-eight albino rats were divided into six various experimental treatments after induction of diabetes by intraperitoneal infusion of streptozotocin (45 mg/kg bwt) as follows: normal control, DPE, diabetic control, diabetic glibenclamide (GLI), diabetic DPE, and diabetic GLI plus DPE-treated groups. In animals euthanized after 8 weeks, blood and pancreatic tissue samples were assembled to assess different biochemical and histopathological changes. The expressions of insulin, B cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), and cysteine aspartate-specific protease-3 (caspase-3) in islet β cells were also evaluated using immunohistochemical assessment. Diabetic rats exhibited hyperglycemia; increment of pancreatic malondialdehyde (lipid peroxidation biomarker), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-1β (IL-1β); and decrement of plasma insulin and pancreatic antioxidants: glutathione, superoxide dismutase, and catalase values. Also, the pancreatic islets exhibited histopathological and morphometric alternations associated with weak positive insulin and Bcl-2 immunoreactivity and strong positive caspase-3 immunoreactivity. DPE and/or GLI, an anti-diabetic drug, improved the pancreatic histoarchitecture and improved β cell function and structure, which increased insulin levels and improved the insulin, Bcl-2, and caspase-3 immunoreactivity in diabetic rats. Nevertheless, the combined DPE and GLI therapy revealed a significant recovery and restoration of β cells' structure and function. The date palm fruit has anti-apoptotic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activities and hypoglycemic effects, which in turn play a pivotal role in avoiding the progression of diabetes mellitus. Moreover, it could potentiate the glucose-lowering activity of anti-diabetic drugs.

Acrylamide exposure represses neuronal differentiation, induces cell apoptosis and promotes tau hyperphosphorylation in hESC-derived 3D cerebral organoids

Acrylamide (ACR) is a common food contaminant with neurotoxic effects that are formed in the Maillard browning reaction during the heat processing of food. Importantly, pregnant women are also exposed to ACR in food during pregnancy and thus, the fetus is likely affected. However, the mechanisms of ACR-caused neurotoxicity on human brain development are still unclear. Many recent studies employed cerebral organoids based on human embryonic stem cells (hESC) for investigating human neurodevelopmental disorders and toxicity. Here, we generated hESC-derived cerebral organoids to evaluate the neurodevelopmental toxicity of ACR. The results indicated that exposure to ACR significantly altered the transcriptional profile, increased nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2)-mediated gene expression, induced cell apoptosis, repressed neuronal differentiation, and promoted tau hyperphosphorylation in cerebral organoids, which may contribute to ACR-induced neurodevelopmental toxicity. These results indicate that the risk of transplacental exposure of the fetus to ACR should be evaluated and pregnant mothers should limit their exposure to ACR.

Modulatory role of dietary Thymus vulgaris essential oil and Bacillus subtilis against thiamethoxam-induced hepatorenal damage, oxidative stress, and immunotoxicity in African catfish (Clarias garipenus)

Thiamethoxam (TMX) is a widely used neonicotinoid insecticide for its effective potential for controlling insects from the agricultural field, which might induce toxicity to the aquatic biota. In this study, the role of the probiotic Bacillus subtilis (BS) and a phytogenic oil extract of Thymus vulgaris essential oil (TVEO) in the modulation of thiamethoxam (TMX)-induced hepatorenal damage, oxidative stress, and immunotoxicity in African catfish (Clarias garipenus) has been evaluated. Fish were subjected to TMX (5 mg L^-1) and fed with a diet either supplemented with BS (1000 ppm) or TVEO (500 ppm). The experiment lasted for 1 month. By the end of the experiment, blood was sampled for biochemical analysis and fish organs and tissues were collected for histopathological and immunohistochemical examinations. Results showed a substantial increase of serum markers of hepatorenal damage such as the activities of aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine with an obvious decrease of serum protein levels in the TMX-intoxicated group. Also, there was a considerable increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activity. TMX remarkably suppressed serum lysozyme activity, respiratory burst activity, and phagocytosis with a conspicuous elevation of the levels of interleukins (interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) and interleukin-6 IL-6). The histopathological findings showed that TMX induced degenerative changes and necrosis in the gills, liver, head kidneys, and spleen of the intoxicated fish. Significant alterations of frequency, size, and area percentage of melanomacrophage centers (MMCs), decreased splenocyte proliferation, and increased number of caspase-3 immunopositive cells were also observed. Contrariwise, the concurrent supplementation of either BS or TVEO in the diets of catfish partially mitigated both the histopathological and histomorphometric lesions of the examined tissues. Correspondingly, they improved the counts of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and caspase-3 immunopositive splenocytes. In conclusion, the co-administration of either BS or TVEO in catfish diets partially diminished the toxic impacts of TMX. Nonetheless, the inclusion of TVEO in the diets of catfish elicited better protection than BS against TMX-induced toxicity in response to its potential anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-apoptotic, and immune-stimulant effects.

Effect of Acrylamide Supplementation on the CART-, VAChT-, and nNOS-Immunoreactive Nervous Structures in the Porcine Stomach

Acrylamide is found in food products manufactured with high-temperature processing, and exposure to acrylamide contained in food products may cause a potential risk to human health. The aim of this investigation was to demonstrate the changes in the population of CART-, nNOS-, and VAChT-immunoreactive enteric neurons in the porcine stomach in response to supplementation of low and high acrylamide doses. The study was carried out with 15 Danish landrace gilts divided into three experimental groups: the control group-animals were administered empty gelatine capsules; the low-dose group-animals were administrated a tolerable daily intake (TDI) dose (0.5 µg/kg of body weight (b.w.)/day) of acrylamide capsules, and the high-dose group-animals were administrated high-dose (ten times higher than TDI: 5 µg/kg b.w./day) acrylamide capsules for 28 days. Using the double immunofluorescence staining method, it was established that supplementation with low and high doses of acrylamide resulted in alterations of the porcine stomach neuron phenotype, which was reflected in an increased number of CART-, VAChT-, and nNOS-immunoreactive neurons. These changes were accompanied by an increased density of CART-, VAChT-, and nNOS-positive fibres. The results suggest that the enteric nervous system plays an important role in protecting the gastrointestinal tract during acrylamide intoxication.

Protective effects of morin against acrylamide-induced hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity: A multi-biomarker approach

Acrylamide (ACR) is a heat-induced carcinogen substance that is found in some foods due to cooking or other thermal processes. The aim of present study was to assess the probable protective effects of morin against ACR-induced hepatorenal toxicity in rats. The rats were treated with ACR (38.27 mg/kg b.w., p.o.) alone or with morin (50 and 100 mg/kg b.w., p.o.) for 10 consecutive days. Morin treatment attenuated the ACR-induced liver and kidney tissue injury by diminishing the serum AST, ALP, ALT, urea and creatinine levels. Morin increased activities of SOD, CAT and GPx and levels of GSH, and suppressed lipid peroxidation in ACR induced tissues. Histopathological changes and immunohistochemical expressions of p53, EGFR, nephrin and AQP2 in the ACR-induced liver and kidney tissues were decreased after administration of morin. In addition, morin reversed the changes in levels of apoptotic, autophagic and inflammatory parameters such as caspase-3, bax, bcl-2, cytochrome c, beclin-1, LC3A, LC3B, p38α MAPK, NF-κB, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α and COX-2 in the ACR-induced toxicity. Morin also affected the protein levels by regulating the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway and thus alleviated ACR-induced apoptosis and autophagy. Overall, these findings may shed some lights on new approaches for the treatment of ACR-induced hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity.