Neurochemical and behavioural correlates in cassava-induced neurotoxicity in rats

Abstract

Chronic cyanide intoxication from cassava has been implicated as the cause for a degenerative neuropathy known widely as tropical ataxic neuropathy. An attempt has been made in this study to identify the specific cause for neuropathy caused by cassava using Wistar strain albino rats as the experimental animal model. The results of cassava fed animals were compared with control animals, animals given cyanide, malnourished animals and malnourished animals fed cyanide, to identify the causative factors. This study revealed that though the behavioural pattern in motor coordination of the cassava fed animals was similar to the other groups studied, the neurochemical basis for the observed behavioural pattern was unique for cassava. Hence the neurotoxicity of cassava could be attributed to unmetabolized linamarin, more than its nutritional status and/or cyanide toxicity.

Neurobehavioral alterations in rats exposed to acrylonitrile in drinking water

“…25 The motor incoordination and slight learning and memory disturbance in AN-treated rats were similar to cassava exposure, which suggests that cyanide, one of the metabolites of nitriles, may play a key role in the motor and cognition damage. 26,27 Furthermore, the learning and memory deficits are not caused by motor deficits in the forced swimming, because there was no difference in the time taken directly from starting point to safety platform when rats successfully learned this escape behavior(data not shown). Though previous studies had shown that dysfunction of cholinergic muscarinic receptors may be responsible for neurobehavioral changes and other toxicity, induced by AN in vitro or in vivo , 4 Á 6,23,28 Á 30 the exact neurochemical mechanisms need to be further studied.…”

Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) study on cyanide induced biochemical and structural changes in rat sperm

“…Nearly two decades back in 1993, National Toxicology Program (NTP) had evaluated the cyanide toxicity on male reproductive system of F344/N rat strain and found that, the dose equivalent to 4.5 mg kg −1 BW will cause the mild (insignificant) effect on male reproductive system [38] . In contrast, the review of literature revealed that, the dose of 2 mg kg −1 BW will induce oxidative stress in functionally different tissues and further same dose was reported to induce hepatotoxicity, renal toxicity and neurotoxicity in rats, quails and goats [9] , [13] , [39] , [40] , [41] , [42] , [43] , [44] , [45] , [46] . Therefore, in the current study, we made an attempt to evaluate the cyanide toxicity on rat sperm biomolecules with different sublethal doses (0.64, 1.2 and 3.2 mg kg −1 BW), those are lower than the dose reported to induce mild reproductive toxicity in male rats.…”

Effect of Alpha-Ketoglutarate on Neurobehavioral, Neurochemical and Oxidative Changes Caused by Sub-Chronic Cyanide Poisoning in Rats

“…Studies on neurotoxicity of cassava in rats also showed decrease in motor coordination and neurotransmitter changes, particularly dopaminergic changes in the brain [11][12][13]. Additionally, experimental chronic cyanide intoxication has been shown to decrease animal weight and cause myelin degeneration [14], decrease motor coordination, memory, emotional status and catecholamines in the corpus striatum, hypothalamus and hippocampus in rats [13,15].…”