The vulnerability of diabetic rats to neurotoxin acrylamide: An interactive study

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder with pathophysiology leading to various secondary complications such as nephropathy, neuropathy and retinopathy. The primary objective of the current study was to understand whether diabetic condition predisposes to exogenous neurotoxin insult. The neurotoxin chosen was acrylamide (ACR) because of its formation/ presence seen among various foods such as French fries, cookies and all deep fried or high heat processed carbohydrate-rich foods. Male adult Wistar rats were rendered diabetic using a single dose of streptozotocin (55mg/ kg bw, ip). After 1 week, the control and diabetic rats were sub-divided as follows: Group I: Control (received equal-volume of saline); Group II: ACR control (25 mg/ kg bw, ip, 3x/ wk); Group III – Diabetic control (received equal-volume of saline); Group IV – Diabetic administered with ACR (Diabetic + ACR; 25 mg/ kg bw, ip, 3x/ wk). Behavioural studies were carried out to check for sensory and motor functions on a weekly basis. At the end of 5 weeks, the rats were sacrificed and brain and sciatic nerve (SN) were collected for assessment of biochemical markers of oxidative mechanism and neurotransmission. Results suggest that diabetic rats were indeed predisposed to the neurotoxic effects of ACR (low dose). The development of neuropathic signs was advanced among the diabetic rats administered with ACR. The degree of oxidative impairments among diabetic rats administered with ACR was evident in SN and brain regions; the effects being more pronounced in SN. Further, an alteration in the cholinergic and dopaminergic function was also evident. Thus results obtained in this experimental design are suggestive of the vulnerability of diabetes to the neurotoxin.