Chrysin ameliorates 3 nitropropinoic acid induced neurotoxicity targeting behavioural, biochemical and histological alterations

Abstract

Background and purpose

Huntington disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant inheritance neurodegenerative disorder. 3-Nitropropanoic acid (3-NP) is a mitochondrial toxin that induces HD-like symptoms and thus serves as a good experimental model of HD. Chrysin (5, 7-dihydroxyflavone) is a natural flavonoid that have multiple biological activities. The present work was aimed to evaluate the neuroprotective efficacy of Chrysin in rat brain, under the influence of 3-NP treatment, by studying neurobehavioral and biochemical alterations alongwith histo-architectural changes.

Materials and methods

Male Wistar rats (220–250 g) were used in the study and were divided into three groups following randomization. Each group comprised of nine animals. Group I animals served as control group and administered with normal saline (orally) as vehicle. Animals of Group II were treated with 3-NP for four successive days, at the dose of 20 mg/kg, intraperitoneally (i.p.). Animals that received Chrysin for the period of four consecutive days with the dose of 50 mg/kg, orally twice daily (30 min pre-treatment and 6 h post-treatment) following 3-NP administration served as Group III. After the treatment regime, animals were evaluated for neurobehavioral alterations and brain homogenates were used for estimation of neurotoxicity marker activity and neurotransmitter level along with histological assessment.

Results

The significant alteration in neurobehavioral, biochemical and neuronal structure in striatal part of brain was observed in the 3-NP administered (Group II) animals. It was observed that co-treatment of Chrysin with 3-NP treated rats the rotarod performance, grip strength, stride length as well as monoamine oxidase activity and serotonin levels were elevated.

Conclusion

The results of this study reveal that Chrysin treatment alleviated the neurobehavioral, biochemical and histological alterations against HD symptoms in rats.

Keywords:

• Huntington disease
• oxidative damage
• chrysin
• neuroprotection
• 3-nitropropanoic acid

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

Prof. Suhel Parvez is supported by Cognitive Science Research Initiative Grant (DST/CSRI/2017/150) from the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. The Grant nos. [SR/FST/LS-I/2017/05(C)] and [SR/PURSE Phase2/39 (C)] received from the Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India, to Jamia Hamdard is also thankfully acknowledged. Mohd. Salman and Ms. Pooja Kaushik are recipients of Senior Research Fellowship from Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) [File Nos. 3/1/2/4/Trauma/2019-NCD-1 and 45/41/2019-NAN-BMS].