α-Lipoic acid attenuates transplacental nicotine-induced germ cell and oxidative DNA damage in adult mice

Protective effect of alpha‑lipoic acid against in utero cytarabine exposure-induced hepatotoxicity in rat female neonates

Cytarabine, an anti-metabolite drug, remains the mainstay of treatment for hematological malignancies. It causes various toxic effects including teratogenicity. Alpha lipoic acid (ALA) is a natural antioxidant reported to offer protection against hepatotoxicity induced by various pathological conditions, drugs, or chemicals. We investigated the protective effect of ALA against prenatal cytarabine exposure-induced hepatotoxicity in rat female neonates. A total of 30 dams were randomly assigned to five groups and received normal saline, ALA 200 mg/kg, cytarabine 12.5 mg/kg, cytarabine 25 mg/kg, and cytarabine 25 mg/kg + ALA 200 mg/kg, respectively, from gestational day (GD)8 to GD21. Cytarabine and ALA were administered via intraperitoneal and oral (gavage) routes, respectively. On postnatal day (PND)1, all the live female neonates (pups) were collected and weighed. The blood and liver from pups were carefully collected and used for histopathological, and biochemical evaluations. A significant and dose-dependent decrease in maternal food intake and weight gain was observed in the pregnant rats (dams) of the cytarabine groups as compared to the dams of the control group. The pups exposed to cytarabine showed a significant and dose-dependent (a) decrease in body weight, liver weight, hepatosomatic index, catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, serum albumin levels and (b) increase in malondialdehyde, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase, AST/ALT ratio, and histopathological anomalies. Maternal co-administration of ALA ameliorated these biochemical changes and histopathological abnormalities by combating oxidative stress. Future studies are warranted to explore the molecular mechanisms involved in the ALA's protective effects against prenatal cytarabine-induced hepatotoxicity.

Maternal supplementation of alpha-lipoic acid ameliorates prenatal cytarabine-induced mutilation in reproductive development and function in F1 male adult rats

AIMS

Cytarabine (CYT), a prevalent anticancer drug for blood cancers, detrimentally affects male reproductive development and function. Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA), a universal antioxidant, offers defense against chemical-induced reproductive dysfunction. Our study sought to explore ALA's protective role against prenatal CYT-induced reproductive impairment in F1 male adult rats.

MAIN METHODS

Pregnant rats were divided into 5 groups and administered normal saline, ALA 200 mg/kg, CYT 12.5 mg/kg, CYT 25 mg/kg, and CYT 25 mg/kg + ALA 200 mg/ kg from gestational day 8 to 21. On postnatal day 73, F1 male rats were sacrificed, and general, oxidative, steroidogenic, spermatogenic, histological, and morphometrical parameters were evaluated.

KEY FINDINGS

Prenatal CYT caused dose-dependent reductions in body weight, testis, and accessory gland weights; elevated oxidative stress; delayed puberty onset; sperm anomalies (decreased count, motility, viability, seminal fructose; increased morphological anomalies); impeded steroidogenesis (lower testosterone, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, 3β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase(HSD), 17β-HSD, and elevated cholesterol); and testicular histopathological and morphometric disturbances. Maternal supplementation of ALA was found to alleviate all the CYT-induced reproductive disruptions.

SIGNIFICANCE

The present work accentuates the beneficial actions of ALA against CYT-induced impairment in reproductive development and functions by combating disruptions in oxidative balance, steroidogenesis, spermatogenesis, and testicular histological aberrations. However, future experimental and clinical studies are warranted to explore the molecular mechanisms involved in the ALA's protection against prenatal CYT-induced testicular injury.

Maternal supplementation of α-lipoic acid attenuates prenatal cytarabine exposure-induced oxidative stress, steroidogenesis suppression and testicular damage in F1 male rat fetus

Background

Cytarabine (Ara-C) is an anticancer drug, which is considered as the mainstay in the treatment of hematological malignancies, known to cause various teratogenic effects. Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) is a natural antioxidant and its supplementation proved to improve pregnancy outcomes in several pathological conditions. We aimed at exploring the benefits of maternal supplementation of ALA against in-utero Ara-C exposure-induced testicular toxicity in rat fetuses.

Methods

Pregnant rats (dams) received normal saline (control group), ALA 200 mg/kg (ALA group), Ara-C 12.5 mg/kg (Ara-C 12.5 group), Ara-C 25 mg/kg (Ara-C 25 group), and Ara-C 25 mg/kg + ALA 200 mg/kg (protection group) from gestational day (GD)8 to GD21. Ara-C and ALA were administered via the intraperitoneal and oral routes, respectively. The day of parturition was considered as postnatal day (PND)1. On PND1, all the live male pups were collected. The maternal parameters evaluated include (a) food intake, (b) bodyweight, and (c) oxidative stress (OS) markers. The fetal parameters evaluated include (a) bodyweight, (b) anogenital distances (AGD), (c) testicular weight (d) testicular testosterone levels (e) testicular histopathology, and (f) morphometrical parameters.

Results

A significant and dose-dependent decrease in maternal food intake, weight gain, and an increase in oxidative stress (OS) were observed in the pregnant rats of the Ara-C groups as compared to pregnant rats of the control group. Further, a significant and dose-dependent (a) reduction in bodyweight, AGD, testicular weight, and testosterone levels, (b) increase in OS, and (c) structural and morphometrical anomalies in fetal testes were observed in fetuses of Ara-C groups as compared to fetuses of the control rats. These deleterious effects observed in the Ara-C groups were found to be diminished in the pregnant rats and fetuses of the Protection group as compared to the pregnant rats and fetuses of the Ara-C 25 group.

Conclusions

From the results of this study, we conclude that the maternal supplementation of ALA may ameliorate the Ara-C exposure-induced impairment in prenatal development and function of the testes in the rat fetuses. However, future experimental and clinical studies are warranted to explore the possible mechanisms involved in the protection offered by maternal supplementation of ALA against Ara-C induced testicular toxicity.

Graphical Abstract

Alpha-lipoic acid ameliorates cytarabine-induced developmental anomalies in rat fetus

Cytarabine (Ara-C) is a nucleoside analogue used in the treatment of cancers and viral infections. It has teratogenic potential and causes a variety of birth defects in fetuses. Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) is a natural antioxidant offers protection against the developmental toxicity induced by drug- or toxicant-exposure or pathological conditions. This study was aimed at evaluating the protective effect of ALA against Ara-C induced developmental toxicity in rat fetus. Pregnant rats divided into five groups and received normal saline, ALA200 mg/kg, Ara-C12.5 mg/kg, Ara-C25 mg/kg and, Ara-C25 mg/kg plus ALA200 mg/kg respectively from gestational day (GD) 8 to GD14 and sacrificed on GD21. Ara-C treatment led to a significant and dose-dependent decrease in food intake, weight gain, placental weight, and an increase in oxidative stress in pregnant rats. Further, the in-utero exposure to Ara-C led to an increase in fetal mortality, resorptions, oxidative stress, external morphological anomalies and limb abnormalities, and impaired ossification. Co-administration of ALA resulted in amelioration of the footprints of Ara-C induced toxicity in pregnant rats as well as the fetus. These findings indicate that the ALA supplementation offers protection against developmental toxicity caused by Ara-C prenatal exposure in rats.

Effect of alpha-lipoic acid on oxidative stress, viability and motility in the common carp (Cyprinus carpio) spermatozoa after short-term storage and cryopreservation

As known for different metabolic functions, α-lipoic acid (ALA) has been tested for spermatozoa preservation of animals as well as of human, but not for fish spermatozoa. The present study determined the effects of ALA on short and long-term (cryopreservation) preservation of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) spermatozoa, for the first time. For that, spermatozoa were diluted in extenders containing 0 (control), 0.025, 0.05, 0.1, 0.5, 1, 2, 5, and 10 mM of ALA concentrations in both short-term preservation and cryopreservation. Spermatozoa motility parameters by computer-assisted semen analysis, viability, lipid peroxidation and catalase activity in spermatozoa were conducted in both 2nd and 120th hours of short-term storage and post-thaw samples. Higher percentages of total spermatozoa motility (80 ± 3) and viability (87 ± 3) were observed in 0.5 mM ALA group after 120 h of incubation. In post-thaw samples, higher percentages of these parameters were in 1 mM ALA group (74 ± 3 and 83 ± 2, respectively). Moreover, the results have shown that the addition of ALA until concentrations of 2 mM improved especially spermatozoa curvilinear velocity, maintained viability, and suppressed excessive lipid peroxidation during the preservations. In conclusion, the additions of 0.5 mM ALA for short-term preservation and 1 mM ALA for cryopreservation were the optimal concentrations, and shown the protective effects on common carp spermatozoa, when considering all measured parameters together.

Inhibitory effects of alpha-lipoic acid on oxidative stress in the rostral ventrolateral medulla in rats with salt-induced hypertension

Oxidative stress in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) plays an important role in the pathophysiology of hypertension. Alpha‑lipoic acid (ALA) is widely recognized for its potent superoxide inhibitory properties, and it can safely penetrate deep into the brain. The aim of this study was to explore whether ALA supplementation attenuates hypertensive responses and cardiac hypertrophy by decreasing the NAD(P)H oxidase (NOX)-derived overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the mitochondria in the RVLM, and thus attenuating the development of salt‑induced hypertension. For this purpose, male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 2 groups and either fed a high-salt diet or not. After 8 weeks, the rats were either administered ALA or an equal volume of the vehicle for 8 weeks. The rats fed a high‑salt diet exhibited higher mean arterial pressure (MAP) and higher plasma noradrenaline (NE) levels, as well as cardiac hypertrophy, as evidence by the increased whole heart weight/body weight (WHW/BW) ratio, WHW/tibia length (TL) ratio and left‑ventricular weight (LVW)/TL ratio. Compared with the rats in the NS group, the rats in the HS group only exhibited increased levels of superoxide, NOX2, NOX4 and mitochondrial malondialdehyde (MDA), but also decreased levels of copper/zinc (Cu/Zn)-superoxide dismutase (SOD), mitochondrial SOD and glutathione (GSH) in the RVLM. The supplementation of ALA decreased MAP, plasma NE levels and the levels of cardiac hypertrophy indicators. It also decreased the levels of superoxide, NOX2, NOX4 and mitochondrial MDA, and increased the levels of Cu/Zn‑SOD, mitochondrial SOD and GSH in the RVLM compared with the rats fed a high-salt diet and not treated with ALA. On the whole, our findings indicate that long‑term ALA supplementation attenuates hypertensive responses and cardiac hypertrophy by decreasing the expression of NAD(P)H subunits (NOX2 and NOX4), increasing the levels of mitochondrial bioenergetic enzymes, and enhancing the intracellular antioxidant capacity in the RVLM during the development of hypertension.