Cholinergic system under aluminium toxicity in rat brain

Abstract

The present investigation envisages the toxic effects of aluminium on the cholinergic system of male albino rat brain. Aluminium toxicity (LD50/24 h) evaluated as per Probit method was found to be 700 mg/kg body weight. One-fifth of lethal dose was taken as the sublethal dose. For acute dose studies, rats were given a single lethal dose of aluminium acetate orally for one day only and for chronic dose studies, the rats were administered with sublethal dose of aluminium acetate once in a day for 25 days continuously. The two constituents of the cholinergic system viz. acetylcholine and acetylcholinesterase were determined in selected regions of rat brain such as cerebral cortex, hippocampus, hypothalamus, cerebellum, and pons-medulla at selected time intervals/days under acute and chronic treatment with aluminium. The results revealed that while acetylcholinesterase activity was inhibited, acetylcholine level was elevated differentially in all the above mentioned areas of brain under aluminium toxicity, exhibiting area-specific response. All these changes in the cholinergic system were subsequently manifested in the behavior of rat exhibiting the symptoms such as adipsia, aphagia, hypokinesia, fatigue, seizures, etc. Restoration of the cholinergic system and overt behavior of rat to the near normal levels under chronic treatment indicated the onset of either detoxification mechanisms or development of tolerance to aluminium toxicity in the animal which was not probably so efficient under acute treatment.

Fenugreek Seed Powder Nullified Aluminium Chloride Induced Memory Loss, Biochemical Changes, Aβ Burden and Apoptosis via Regulating Akt/GSK3β Signaling Pathway

“…Cholinergic neurons and acetylcholine are linked to learning, memory, movement and blood flow control in the brain [35]. Aluminium induces memory impairment by decreasing cholinergic function, as measured by acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and choline acetyltransferase activities, the key enzymes involved in the degradation and synthesis of acetylcholine [36]. Aluminum chloride treatment significantly increased aluminum concentration (Fig 4) and AChE activity (Fig 5) in hippocampus and cortex as compared to control rats.…”

The meaning of aluminium exposure on human health and aluminium-related diseases

“…Recently, the toxic effects of aluminium on the cholinergic system have been demonstrated in rats. Rats exhibited the typical symptoms of neurotoxicity, including hypokinesia, fatigue and seizures, parallelled by changes in the brain content of the two main constituents of the cholinergic system (acetylcholine and acetylcholinesterase activity) after the oral administration of sublethal doses of aluminium acetate (82) .…”

Evaluation of Plant Food Extracts in Experimental Model of Alzheimer's Like Disease Induced by Aluminum Lactate in Rats

“…Treatment with Al salts lead to elevation of neuronal AChE expression in rats (Olajide et al, 2017). Al interferes with cholinergic transmission and signaling, thereby, acetylcholine (Ach) metabolism is affected by Al (Yellamma et al, 2010). The present results showed that both the activity of brain AChE and plasma ChE were significantly elevated in Alzheimer model in rats that had intimate relation to learning and memory deficits after Al exposure (Kawahara, 2016).…”