Curcumin Can Prevent the Changes in Cerebellar Structure and Function Induced by Sodium Metabisulfite in Rat

Abstract

Sulfites are used as anti-microbial and anti-oxidant agents in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Curcumin, a flavonoid, is an Asian spice that shows neuroprotective activities. The current study aimed to stereologically assess the rats' cerebellar cortex and rotarod performance following sulfite exposure and determine the possible neuroprotective potential of curcumin. The rats were divided into five groups: distilled water, olive oil, curcumin (100 mg/kg/day), sodium metabisulfite (25 mg/kg/day), and sodium metabisulfite+curcumin. At 56 days after treatment, rotarod performance was tested, and then the cerebellum was removed for stereological analysis. The study results revealed 31%, 36%, 19% and 24% decrease in the total volume of the cerebellum, cortex, the total number of the Purkinje cells and length of the nerve fibers in the cortex per Purkinje, respectively in the sodium metabisulfite-treated rats compared to the distilled water group (p<0.01). The pre-trained animals on the rotarod apparatus were tested first on the fixed speed rotarod protocol followed by the accelerating rotarod protocol two days later. The results showed a significant decrease in the latency to fall in both test in sulfite-treated rats. The sulfite effects on the structural parameters and rotarod performance were significantly protected by the concomitant curcumin treatment (p<0.001). Sulfite can induce structural and functional changes in the rats' cerebellum and concomitant curcumin prescription plays a neuroprotective role.

Beneficial Effects of Olive Oil on the Rats’ Cerebellum: Functional and Structural Evidence

“…The rats were tested fi rst on the fi xed speed rotarod protocol and, two days later, on the accelerating rotarod protocol. According to the fi xed speed protocol, the animals were tested at 7 different speeds; i.e., 12,16,19,21,24,26,28, and 38 rpm, for at most 60 s at each speed (3 times at each speed with an interval of 20 min between each trial). The latency of each rat to fall from the rotarod was recorded.…”

“…Using a projecting microscope, the volume was estimated at the fi nal magnifi cation of ×25 by Cavalieri's principle. 8,16 The distances between the sampled sections (d) were calculated. In addition, the area was evaluated using pointcounting method.…”

Morphological and Biochemical Features of Cerebellar Cortex After Exposure to Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles: Possible Protective Role of Curcumin

“…The neuroprotective role of Cur against different toxicological agents was proved in different studies. Cur inhibits hippocampus neurotoxicity (Khalil and Khedr, ) and prevented cerebellar damage induced by streptozotocin (Peeyush et al, ) and by sulfite (Noorafshan et al, ). In addition, Lin et al () illustrated that Cur inhibits apoptosis and decreases neuronal loss after spinal cord injury.…”

Landolphia owariensis Attenuates Alcohol-induced Cerebellar Neurodegeneration: Significance of Neurofilament Protein Alteration in the Purkinje Cells

“…Though high oxygenation yields large quantities of ROS, several parts of the brain that are rich in iron also promote the production of more ROS, which is involved in a cascade that exuberates neuronal injury, including an ROS-driven cellular damage mediated by lipid peroxidation. 23,25 Furthermore, in alcohol metabolism, several intermediate products forms proteins adducts and complexes that generate more ROS in the brain and when the production of ROS overwhelms the endogenous antioxidant defences, a self-perpetuating free radical damaging reaction of lipid peroxidation is initiated which involves membrane damage, organelle dysfunction, and calcium dyshomeostasis. 25,26 Ironically, the antioxidant defence system is poor in the brain.…”

“…Many NF protein alterations potentially lead to the accumulation of neurofi laments over a long term. The neuroprotective potentials of medicinal plants in the cerebellar cortex have been shown in both in vitro 24 and in vivo 23 studies. Immunohistochemical evidence from our study indicated that L. owariensis caused an increase in NF protein expression in the Purkinje neurones.…”