Protective Effect of Hemin Against Experimental Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in Mice: Possible Role of Neurotransmitters

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a disorder characterized by persistent and relapsing fatigue along with long-lasting and debilitating fatigue, myalgia, cognitive impairment, and many other common symptoms. The present study was conducted to explore the protective effect of hemin on CFS in experimental mice. Male albino mice were subjected to stress-induced CFS in a forced swimming test apparatus for 21 days. After animals had been subjected to the forced swimming test, hemin (5 and 10 mg/kg; i.p.) and hemin (10 mg/kg) + tin(IV) protoporphyrin (SnPP), a hemeoxygenase-1 (HO-1) enzyme inhibitor, were administered daily for 21 days. Various behavioral tests (immobility period, locomotor activity, grip strength, and anxiety) and estimations of biochemical parameters (lipid peroxidation, nitrite, and GSH), mitochondrial complex dysfunctions (complexes I and II), and neurotransmitters (dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine and their metabolites) were subsequently assessed. Animals exposed to 10 min of forced swimming session for 21 days showed a fatigue-like behavior (as increase in immobility period, decreased grip strength, and anxiety) and biochemical alteration observed by increased oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and neurotransmitter level alteration. Treatment with hemin (5 and 10 mg/kg) for 21 days significantly improved the decreased immobility period, increased locomotor activity, and improved anxiety-like behavior, oxidative defense, mitochondrial complex dysfunction, and neurotransmitter level in the brain. Further, these observations were reversed by SnPP, suggesting that the antifatigue effect of hemin is HO-1 dependent. The present study highlights the protective role of hemin against experimental CFS-induced behavioral, biochemical, and neurotransmitter alterations.

Sick Building Syndrome and Other Building-Related Illnesses

Sick building syndrome (SBS) and building-related illnesses are omnipresent in modern high-rise buildings. The SBS is a complex spectrum of ill health symptoms, such as mucous membrane irritation, asthma, neurotoxic effects, gastrointestinal disturbance, skin dryness, sensitivity to odours that may appear among occupants in office and public buildings, schools and hospitals. Studies on large office buildings from USA, UK, Sweden, Finland, Japan, Germany, Canada, China, India, Netherlands, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Thailand, substantiate the occurrence of SBS phenomena. The accumulated effects of a multitude of factors, such as the indoor environmental quality, building characteristics, building dampness, and activities of occupants attribute to SBS. A building occupant manifests at least one symptom of SBS, the onset of two or more symptoms at least twice, and rapid resolution of symptoms following moving away from the workstation or building may be defined as having SBS. Based on the peer-reviewed documentation, this chapter elaborates the magnitude of building-related health consequences due to measurable environmental causations, and the size of the population affected. The mechanisms and causative factors of SBS and illnesses include, for example, the oxidative stress resulting from indoor pollutants, VOCs, office work-related stressors, humidification, odours associated with moisture and bioaerosol exposure. Related regulatory standards and strategies for management of SBS and other illnesses are elaborated.

Protective effect of HMG CoA reductase inhibitors against running wheel activity induced fatigue, anxiety like behavior, oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction in mice

BACKGROUND

Chronic fatigue stress (CFS) is an important health problem with unknown causes and unsatisfactory prevention strategies, often characterized by long-lasting and debilitating fatigue, myalgia, impairment of neuro-cognitive functions along with other common symptoms. The present study has been designed to explore the protective effect of statins against running wheel activity induced fatigue anxiety.

METHODS

Male albino Laca mice (20-30 g) were subjected to swim stress induced fatigue in a running wheel activity apparatus. Atorvastatin (10, 20 mg/kg, po) and fluvastatin (5, 10 mg/kg, po) were administered daily for 21 days, one hour prior to the animals being subjected to running wheel activity test session of 6 min. Various behavioral tests (running wheel activity, locomotor activity and elevated plus maze test), biochemical parameters (lipid peroxidation, nitrite concentration, glutathione levels and catalase activity) and mitochondrial complex enzyme dysfunctions (complex I, II, III and IV) were subsequently assessed.

RESULTS

Animals exposed to 6 min test session on running wheel for 21 days showed a significant decrease in number of wheel rotations per 6 min indicating fatigue stress like behavior. Treatment with atorvastatin (10 and 20 mg/kg) and fluvastatin (10 mg/kg) for 21 days significantly improved the behavioral alterations [increased number of wheel rotations and locomotor activity, and anxiety like behavior (decreased number of entries and time spent in open arm)], oxidative defence and mitochondrial complex enzyme activities in brain.

CONCLUSION

Present study suggests the protective role of statins against chronic fatigue induced behavioral, biochemical and mitochondrial dysfunctions.