Role of quercetin in cadmium-induced oxidative stress, neuronal damage, and apoptosis in rats

Abstract

The present study was carried out to evaluate the neuroprotective effect of quercetin (QE) in protecting the cadmium (Cd)-induced neuronal injury in frontal cortex of rats. A total of 30 adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups of 10 animals each: control, Cd treated and Cd treated with QE. The Cd-treated group was injected subcutaneously with cadmium chloride (CdCl2) dissolved in saline at a dose of 2 ml/kg/day for 30 days, resulting in a dosage of 1 mg/kg Cd. The rats in QE-treated groups were given QE (15 mg/kg body weight) once a day intraperitoneally starting 2 days prior to Cd injection, during the study period. Rats were sacrificed at the end of the study and the frontal cortex tissues were removed for biochemical and histopathological investigation. To date, there is no available information on the effect of QE on neuronal injury after Cd exposure. Rats intoxicated with Cd for 30 days, significantly increased tissue malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and significantly decreased enzymatic antioxidants superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase in the frontal cortex tissue. Administration of QE with Cd significantly diminished the levels of MDA and significantly elevated the levels of enzymatic antioxidants in the frontal cortex tissue. The histopathological studies in the brain of rats also supported that QE markedly reduced the Cd-induced histopathological changes and well preserved the normal histological architecture of the frontal cortex tissue. The caspase-3 immunopositivity was increased in degenerating neurons of the Cd group. Treatment with QE markedly reduced the immunoreactivity of degenerating neurons. In conclusion, the results of the current study suggest that QE may be beneficial in combating the Cd-induced neurotoxicity in the brain of rats. We believe that further preclinical research into the utility of QE may indicate its usefulness as a potential treatment for neurodegeneration after Cd exposure in rats.

The Role of Dietary Antioxidants in the Pathogenesis of Neurodegenerative Diseases and Their Impact on Cerebral Oxidoreductive Balance

“…Quercetin is a phenolic compound present in, e.g., tea, whose antioxidative properties have been conclusively demonstrated [123]. The conducted studies confirmed that the use of quercetin in rats poisoned with toxic substances improved cerebral oxidative parameters [94,97]. Moreover, Dong et al [95] demonstrated that the use of quercetin in rats whose brain damage resulting from subarachnoid hemorrhage triggered increased SOD activity and GDH content and decreased MDA concentration in the brain.…”

The In Vitro Anti-Proliferative Interaction of Flavonoid Quercetin and Toxic Metal Cadmium in the 1321N1 Human Astrocytoma Cell Line

“…QE protects experimental animals from memory impairment and from anxiogenic behavior induced by Cd by preventing alterations in the activities of enzymes present in rats' cerebral cortex, hippocampus, and hypothalamus [30][31][32]. QE also significantly reduces the neuronal injury in the frontal cortex of rats exposed to Cd [33]. QE also possesses the ability to restore alterations in various enzymatic activities in serum of experimental rats exposed to Cd as show on the activity of serum creatine kinase-muscle/brain (MB), transaminases, alkaline phosphatase, and lactate dehydrogenase [34].…”

Effect of Cadmium on Trophoblast Cell Proliferation and Apoptosis in Different Gestation Periods of Rat Placenta

“…Important Cd sources affecting human life are cigarette smoke, refined nutrients, water pipes, coffee, tea, products released by burning coal, shellfishes, fertilizers used, dyes and batteries containing Cd, and flue gases released in industrial production stages [7]. Occupational and environmental Cd exposure cause serious damages in the tissues like the placenta, kidney, liver, testis, heart, brain, and lungs [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. Several investigations confirmed its transport across the placenta and accumulation in fetuses [16,17].…”

“…PCNA H-SCORE for gestation days15,17,19, and 21 were measured in both control and Cd groups. The differences were statistically significant.…”