The protective effect of taurine, piracetam and vinpocetine on etoposideinduced inflammation and brain injury in the serum of female albino rats

Abstract

Etoposide (ETP) is one of the leading antitumour agents in cancer chemotherapy. Many studies have reported on ETP-induced peripheral neuropathy; however, few reports have focused on its brain toxicity. The current research investigates the protective potential of taurine, piracetam and vinpocetine on serum biomarkers associated with inflammation and brain injury induced by ETP in a rodent model. A total of 30 female albino rats were equally divided into five groups; the 1 st and 2 nd groups were the control and ETP-treated groups, respectively, while the 3 rd , 4 th and 5 th groups were ETP-treated rats cotreated with taurine, piracetam and vinpocetine, respectively. Administration of ETP reduced body weight significantly, enhanced production of serum proinflammatory cytokines including tumour necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) and IL-6 and decreased glutathione serum levels. Moreover, ETP treatment resulted in upregulation of glial fibrillary acidic protein expression and histopathological alterations in the rats' brain compared to the control group. Co-treatment with taurine, piracetam and vinpocetine counteracted ETP-induced brain injury and altered serum biomarkers levels. We concluded that cotreatment with vinpocetine could serve as a complementary therapeutic agent in reducing brain injury and toxicity induced by ETP.

Regulation of cerebral blood flow boosts precise brain targeting of vinpocetine-derived ionizable-lipidoid nanoparticles

“…Alkaloids, a class of nitrogen compounds with heterocyclic structures and significant biological activity, warrant attention 62 . Vinpocetine, in particular, displays anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, offering the potential for reducing the toxicity of certain chemotherapy drugs, such as cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury 63 and etoposide-induced brain injury 64 . Moreover, vinpocetine has shown promise in mitigating SARS-CoV-2-induced hyper-inflammatory and oxidative stress 65 .…”

In vivo protective effects of 6‑gingerol in cerebral ischemia involve preservation of antioxidant defenses and activation of anti‑apoptotic pathways

“…In the present study, piracetam was used as a positive control due to its known protective effects. Piracetam enhances cholinergic functions and reduces neuronal inflammation, apoptosis and oxidative stress, thus highlighting its beneficial effects as a therapeutic agent ( 45 , 46 ). Previous studies have demonstrated that administration of piracetam at doses of 250 or 500 mg/kg via the intraperitoneal (i.p.)…”

Radiolabeling and evaluation of fonturacetam hydrazide as a radiotracer for visualization of brain function

“…After that, a freshly eluted pertechnetate solution (~ 350 MBq) from a Moly generator was added to this mixture and subsequently incubated at room temperature for 25 min. In order to determine the optimal labeling conditions, different combinations of factors affecting the labeling yield were studied using varying amounts of fonturacetam hydrazide (5-50 µg), Stannous chloride dihydrate (25-250 µg) at different pH values (2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11) for different reaction times (5-40 min).…”

“…They are mainly used as nootropic drugs to treat cognitive deficits. Although the exact mechanism of action of racetams is not fully comprehended [8], they are thought to produce their effect by primarily modulating the α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid (AMPA) receptors [9,10]; the predominant excitatory neurotransmitter receptors mediating synaptic transmission in the brain. The AMPA receptors dysfunction is thought to underlie certain neuronal disorders, including depression, schizophrenia, epilepsy, and Alzheimer's disease [11][12][13], and their synaptic trafficking is believed to underlie neuronal plasticity, including learning and memory [14,15].…”