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Alzu'bi A, Baker WB, Al-Trad B, Zoubi MSA, AbuAlArjah MI, Abu-El-Rub E, Tahat L, Helaly AM, Ghorab DS, El-Huneidi W, Al-Zoubi RM. The impact of chronic fentanyl administration on the cerebral cortex in mice: Molecular and histological effects. Brain Res Bull 2024; 209:110917. [PMID: 38428507 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2024.110917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Fentanyl, a fully synthetic opioid, is widely used for severe pain management and has a huge abuse potential for its psychostimulant effects. Unlike other opioids, the neurotoxic effects of chronic fentanyl administration are still unclear. In particular, little is known about its effect on the cerebral cortex. The current study aims to test the chronic toxicity of fentanyl in the mice model. METHODS Adult male Balb/c mice were chronically treated with low (0.05 mg/kg, i.p) and high (0.1 mg/kg, i.p) doses of fentanyl for 5 consecutive weeks, and various neurotoxic parameters, including apoptosis, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammatory response were assessed in the cortex. Potential histological as well as neurochemical changes were also evaluated. RESULTS The results of this study show that chronic fentanyl administration induced intense levels of apoptosis, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation in the cerebral cortex. These findings were found to be correlated with histopathological characteristics of neural degeneration and white matter injury. Moreover, fentanyl administration was found to reduce the expression of both NMDA receptor subunits and dopamine receptors and elevate the level of epidermal growth factor (EGF). CONCLUSION Fentanyl administration induced neurotoxic effects in the mouse cerebral cortex that could be primarily mediated by the evoked oxidative-inflammatory response. The altered expression of NMDA receptors, dopamine receptors, and EGF suggests the pernicious effects of fentanyl addiction that may end in the development of toxic psychosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayman Alzu'bi
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Yarmouk University, Irbid 211-63, Jordan.
| | - Worood Bani Baker
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Yarmouk University, Irbid 211-63, Jordan; Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Yarmouk University, Irbid 211-63, Jordan
| | - Bahaa Al-Trad
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Yarmouk University, Irbid 211-63, Jordan
| | - Mazhar Salim Al Zoubi
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Yarmouk University, Irbid 211-63, Jordan
| | - Manal Isam AbuAlArjah
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Yarmouk University, Irbid 211-63, Jordan
| | - Ejlal Abu-El-Rub
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Yarmouk University, Irbid 211-63, Jordan
| | - Lena Tahat
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Yarmouk University, Irbid 211-63, Jordan
| | - Ahmed Mnz Helaly
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Yarmouk University, Irbid 211-63, Jordan; Forensic Medicine and Clinical Toxicology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Doaa S Ghorab
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Yarmouk University, Irbid 211-63, Jordan; Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Waseem El-Huneidi
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, the United Arab Emirates
| | - Raed M Al-Zoubi
- Surgical Research Section, Department of Surgery, Hamad Medical Corporation & Men's Health, Doha, Qatar; Department of Biomedical Sciences, QU-Health, College of Health Sciences, Qatar University, Doha 2713, Qatar; Department of Chemistry, Jordan University of Science and Technology, P.O.Box 3030, Irbid 22110, Jordan.
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Helaly AM, Mokhtar N, Firgany AEDL, Hazem NM, El Morsi E, Ghorab D. Molybdenum bupropion combined neurotoxicity in rats. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol 2018; 98:224-230. [PMID: 30081056 DOI: 10.1016/j.yrtph.2018.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2018] [Revised: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 08/02/2018] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Heavy metal toxicity is a common foodborne problem in Egypt, especially in combination. Molybdenum toxicity has been studied as a model of the heavy metal toxicity. Molybdenum could promote toxicity via oxidative-inflammatory mechanisms. Bupropion is a well-known antidepressant that has anti-oxidant mechanisms. It exerts a cytoprotective action against molybdenum induced metal toxicity. The aim of the study is to evaluate the effects of combined bupropion and molybdenum in a toxic animal model. The results showed that the combination of bupropion and high doses of molybdenum was extremely toxic with an evident animal fatality. Bupropion showed a clear anti-oxidant/anti-inflammatory profile detected by the ELISA assay of malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione, and interleukin -6 (IL-6), and real-time gene expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). The immunohistochemistry of nuclear factor Kappa Beta (NF-κB) showed that bupropion reduced the inflammatory response induced by the molybdenum neurotoxicity. Despite the improved laboratory profile, the animals were extremely intoxicated with recorded fatalities raising the question about other pathways and mechanisms explaining the drug metal interaction. Furthermore, Bupropion even in normal doses was toxic to the animals. Choroid plexus hyperplasia was reported in the histological examination of the animal brain loaded with bupropion, and choroid plexus papilloma was recorded in the combined drug metal group. More wide-scale studies are needed to verify the safety of the current antidepressant medications for the long-term therapy. It is important to focus on drug metal interaction as a possible cause of neuropathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- A M Helaly
- Forensic and Clinical Toxicology Department, Egypt; Faculty of Medicine, Yarmouk University, Jordan
| | - Naglaa Mokhtar
- Medical Biochemistry Department, Egypt; Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Egypt
| | - Alaa El-Din L Firgany
- Department of Histology and Cell Biology, Egypt; Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Egypt
| | - Noha M Hazem
- Medical Biochemistry Department, Egypt; Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Egypt.
| | - E El Morsi
- Forensic and Clinical Toxicology Department, Egypt; Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Egypt
| | - D Ghorab
- Pathology Department, Egypt; Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Egypt
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