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The Role of Acetylcholine on the Effects of Different Doses of Sulfite in Learning and Memory

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Abstract

In this study, the effects of different doses of sulfite on learning, memory, and long term potentiation as well as the relationship of these effects with acetylcholine pathways, Arc and synapsin 1 levels were investigated. Sixty male Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into three groups as control, S100, and S260. Sodiummetabisulfite (S100;100 mg/kg/day, S260;260 mg/kg/day) was given by oral administration. Behavioral changes were evaluated. After long term potentiation recordings from the perforant pathway—dentate gyrus synapses, animals were sacrificed. Acetylcholinesterase activity, choline acetyltransferase activity, acetylcholine level as well as Arc and Synapsin 1 expressions were analyzed on the hippocampi. The total distance and average velocity values in the open field and Morris water maze tests increased in the sulfite groups, while the discrimination index in the novel object recognition test decreased compared to controls. Acetylcholine levels and choline acetyltransferase activity were also increased in the sulfite groups, while acetylcholinesterase activity was decreased compared to controls. Sulfite intake attenuated long term potentiation in the hippocampus. It has been observed that the excitatory postsynaptic potential slope and population spike amplitude of the field potentials obtained in sulfite groups decreased. This impairment was accompanied by a decrease in Arc and synapsin 1 expressions. In conclusion, it has been shown that sulfite intake in adults impairs learning and memory, possibly mediated by the cholinergic pathway. It is considered that the decrement in Arc and synapsin expressions may play a role in the mechanism underlying the impairment in long term potentiation caused by toxicity.

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Data Availability

We declare that all data supporting the findings of this study are available.

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Funding

This work was supported by the Research Foundation of Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkey (Grant number [TDK-2018-3762]). Author Narin Derin has received research support from Akdeniz University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, Atatürk University, Erzurum, Turkey

    Betül Danışman

  2. Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, Hitit University, Çorum, Turkey

    Güven Akçay

  3. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkey

    Çiğdem Gökçek-Saraç

  4. Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, Akdeniz University, 07070, Antalya, Turkey

    Deniz Kantar & Narin Derin

  5. Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkey

    Mutay Aslan

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  1. Betül Danışman
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by BD, GA, DK, ÇGS and MA. The first draft of the manuscript was written by BD and supervision, project administration is ND. All authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Narin Derin.

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Approval was granted by the Ethics Committee of Akdeniz University (Date 24.01.2018/No 24).”

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Danışman, B., Akçay, G., Gökçek-Saraç, Ç. et al. The Role of Acetylcholine on the Effects of Different Doses of Sulfite in Learning and Memory. Neurochem Res 47, 3331–3343 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11064-022-03684-z

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