he effects of vitamin B12 on the brain damages caused by methamphetamine in mice

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Medical Toxicology Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

2 Department of Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Islamic Azad University, Shahreza Branch, Shahreza, Iran

3 Department of Pharmacodynamics and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

4 Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ahl Al Bayt, Karbala, Iraq

5 Biotechnology Research Center, Pharmaceutical Technology Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

6 Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

7 Cancer Molecular Pathology Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

8 Pharmaceutical Research Center, Pharmaceutical Technology Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

Abstract

Objective(s): Methamphetamine (METH) is a powerful stimulant drug that directly affects the brain and induces neurological deficits. B12 is a water-soluble vitamin (vit) that is reported to attenuate neuronal degeneration. The goal of the present study is to investigate the effect of vitamin B12 on METH’s neurodegenerative changes.
Materials and Methods: Two groups of 6 animals received METH (10 mg/kg, interaperitoneally (IP)) four times with a 2 hr interval. Thirty mins before METH administration, vit B12 (1 mg/kg) or normal saline were injected IP. Animals were sacrificed 3 days after the last administration. Caspase proteins levels were measured by Western blotting. Also, samples were examined by TUNEL assay to detect the presence of DNA fragmentation. Reduced glutathione (GSH) was also determined by the Ellman method.
Results: The pathological findings showed that vit B12 attenuates the gliosis induced by METH. Vit B12 administration also significantly decreased the apoptotic index in the striatum and the cerebral cortex (P<0.001). It also reduced caspase markers compared to the control (PConclusion: The current study suggests that parenteral vit B12 at safe doses may be a promising treatment for METH-induced brain damage via inhibition of  neuron apoptosis and increasing the reduced GSH level. Research focusing on the mechanisms involved in the protective responses of vit B12 can be helpful in providing a novel therapeutic agent against METH-induced neurotoxicity.

Keywords

Main Subjects


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