Aluminium oxide nanoparticles compromise spatial learning and memory performance in rats

Authors

  • Imen M'rad Laboratoire de Physiologie Intégrée, Faculté des Sciences de Bizerte, Université de Carthage, Tunisie
  • Mustapha Jeljeli Institut Supérieur des Sciences Humaines de Tunis, Université El Manar, Tunisie
  • Naima Rihane Laboratoire de Physiologie Intégrée, Faculté des Sciences de Bizerte, Université de Carthage, Tunisie
  • Pascal Hilber Centre de recherche sur les fonctionnements et dysfonctionnements psychologiques CRFDP EA 7475, Université de Rouen Normandie, France
  • Mohsen Sakly Laboratoire de Physiologie Intégrée, Faculté des Sciences de Bizerte, Université de Carthage, Tunisie
  • Salem Amara College of Education Afif, Ministry of Education Shaqra University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17179/excli2017-1050

Keywords:

aluminium oxide nanoparticle, hippocampus, oxidative response, spatial memory

Abstract

Recently, the biosafety and potential influences of nanoparticles on central nervous system have received more attention. In the present study, we assessed the effect of aluminium oxide nanoparticles (Al2O3-NPs) on spatial cognition. Male Wistar rats were intravenously administered Al2O3-NP suspension (20 mg/kg body weight/day) for four consecutive days, after which they were assessed. The results indicated that Al2O3-NPs impaired spatial learning and memory ability. An increment in malondialdehyde levels with a concomitant decrease in superoxide dismutase activity confirmed the induction of oxidative stress in the hippocampus. Additionally, our findings showed that exposure to Al2O3-NPs resulted in decreased acetylcholinesterase activity in the hippocampus. Furthermore, Al2O3-NPs enhanced aluminium (Al) accumulation and disrupted mineral element homoeostasis in the hippocampus. However, they did not change the morphology of the hippocampus. Our results show a connection among oxidative stress, disruption of mineral element homoeostasis, and Al accumulation in the hippocampus, which leads to spatial memory deficit in rats treated with Al2O3-NPs.

Downloads

Published

2018-02-14

How to Cite

M’rad, I., Jeljeli, M., Rihane, N., Hilber, P., Sakly, M., & Amara, S. (2018). Aluminium oxide nanoparticles compromise spatial learning and memory performance in rats. EXCLI Journal, 17, 200–210. https://doi.org/10.17179/excli2017-1050

Issue

Vol. 17 (2018)

Section

Original articles

License

Authors who publish in this journal agree to the following terms:

  • The authors keep the copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution license, CC BY 4.0. This licencse permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided that the original work is properly cited.
  • The use of general descriptive names, trade names, trademarks, and so forth in this publication, even if not specifically identified, does not imply that these names are not protected by the relevant laws and regulations.
  • Because the advice and information in this journal are believed to be true and accurate at the time of publication, neither the authors, the editors, nor the publisher accept any legal responsibility for any errors or omissions presented in the publication. The publisher makes no guarantee, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein.
  • The authors can enter into additional contracts for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version by citing the initial publication in this journal (e.g. publishing in an institutional repository or in a book).

Most read articles by the same author(s)