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Caprylic acid ameliorates rotenone induced inflammation and oxidative stress in the gut-brain axis in Zebrafish

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Abstract

Background

Dysfunction of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) is one of the most common non-motor symptom of Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Pathological processes causing PD were suggested to initiate in the enteric nervous system (ENS) and proceed to the central nervous system (CNS). There are studies showing that low-carbohydrate ketogenic diets can improve motor symptoms of PD. Caprylic acid (C8) is the principal fatty acid component of the medium-chain triglycerides in the ketogenic diets. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of caprylic acid, in neurotoxin exposed zebrafish focusing on the relationship between intestinal and brain oxidative stress and inflammation.

Methods

Adult zebrafish were exposed to rotenone (5 μg/L) (R group) and caprylic acid (20 and 60 mg/mL) (L + HDCA and R + HDCA groups) for 30 days. At the end of 30 days locomotor activities were determined. Levels of lipid peroxidation (LPO), nitric oxide, glutathione and superoxide dismutase and glutathione S-transferase activities were determined by spectrophotometric methods and gene expressions of tnf⍺, il1, il6, il21, ifnɣ and bdnf were evaluated by RT-PCR in the brain and intestinal tissues of zebrafish.

Results

Caprylic acid ameliorated LPO, NO, SOD and the expressions of tnf⍺, il1, il6, il21, ifnɣ and bdnf in brain and intestines. Locomotor activities were only ameliorated in high dose R + HDCA group.

Conclusions

Caprylic acid ameliorated the neurotoxin-induced oxidative stress and inflammation both in the brain and intestines and enhanced locomotor activity in zebrafish.

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Availability of data and materials

The materials used during the present study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa, Istanbul, Turkey

    Derya Cansız & Ahmet Ata Alturfan

  2. Institute of Health Sciences, Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey

    İsmail Ünal

  3. Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul Medipol University, Kavacık, Istanbul, Turkey

    Ünsal Veli Üstündağ

  4. Department of Medical Biochemistry, Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University, Istanbul, Turkey

    Meriç A. Altinoz

  5. Department of Neurosurgery, Mehmet Ali Aydınlar University, Istanbul, Turkey

    İlhan Elmacı

  6. Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey

    Ebru Emekli-Alturfan

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  1. Derya Cansız
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  2. İsmail Ünal
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  3. Ünsal Veli Üstündağ
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  6. İlhan Elmacı
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  7. Ebru Emekli-Alturfan
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Contributions

EE designed the study. DC, İÜ, UVÜ performed the experiments. EE and DC analyzed the data, prepared the figures and wrote the manuscript. EE, AAA, MA and İE supervised the project. All the authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ebru Emekli-Alturfan.

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Conflict of interests

The authors declare that they have no competing financial interests.

Ethical approval

Animal experiments, were carried out in accordance with the European Communities Council Directive of 24 November 1986 (86/609/EEC). All experimental procedures were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of Marmara University (Protocol number: 43.2020.mar).

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All authors give their consent for the publication of the manuscript entitled “Caprylic Acid Ameliorates Rotenone Induced Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in the Gut-Brain Axis in Zebrafish” to be published in the Molecular Biology Reports.

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Cansız, D., Ünal, İ., Üstündağ, Ü.V. et al. Caprylic acid ameliorates rotenone induced inflammation and oxidative stress in the gut-brain axis in Zebrafish. Mol Biol Rep 48, 5259–5273 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-021-06532-5

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