Coenzyme Q10 Attenuates Neurodegeneration in the Cerebellum Induced by Chronic Exposure to Tramadol Publisher Pubmed



Keyhanifard M^{1, 2, 3} ; Javan R⁴ ; Disfani RA⁵ ; Bahrami M⁶ ; Mirzaie MS⁷ ; Taghiloo S⁸ ; Mokhtari H⁹ ; Nasiry D⁹ ; Sadrzadeh Aghajani Z¹⁰ ; Shooraj M¹¹
Source: Journal of Chemical Neuroanatomy Published:2024

Abstract

Background: Chronic use of tramadol can cause neurotoxic effects and subsequently cause neurodegeneration in the cerebellum. The main damage mechanisms identified are oxidative stress and inflammation. Currently, we investigated the effects of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) in attenuates of neurodegeneration in the cerebellum induced by chronic exposure to tramadol. Material and methods: Seventy-two male mature albino rats were allocated into four equal groups, including; non-treated group, CoQ10 group (which received CoQ10 at 200 mg/kg/day orally for three weeks), tramadol group (which received tramadol hydrochloride at 50 mg/kg/day orally for three weeks), and tramadol+CoQ10 group (which received tramadol and CoQ10 at the same doses as the previous groups). Tissue samples were obtained for stereological, immunohistochemical, biochemical, and molecular evaluations. Also, functional tests were performed to evaluate behavioral properties. Results: We found a significant increase in stereological parameters, antioxidant factors (catalase, glutathione, and superoxide dismutase), and behavioral function scores in the tramadol+CoQ10 group compared to the tramadol group (p < 0.05). In addition, malondialdehyde levels, the density of apoptotic cells, as well as the expression of pro-inflammatory (tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin 1 beta, and interleukin 6) and autophagy (lysosome-associated membrane protein 2, autophagy-related 5, beclin 1, and autophagy-related 12) genes were considerably reduced in the tramadol+CoQ10 group compared to the tramadol group (p < 0.05). Conclusion: We conclude that the administration of CoQ10 has neuroprotective effects in the cerebellum of rats that have chronic exposure to tramadol. © 2023 Elsevier B.V.