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Protective Effect of Hemin Against Experimental Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in Mice: Possible Role of Neurotransmitters

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Abstract

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a disorder characterized by persistent and relapsing fatigue along with long-lasting and debilitating fatigue, myalgia, cognitive impairment, and many other common symptoms. The present study was conducted to explore the protective effect of hemin on CFS in experimental mice. Male albino mice were subjected to stress-induced CFS in a forced swimming test apparatus for 21 days. After animals had been subjected to the forced swimming test, hemin (5 and 10 mg/kg; i.p.) and hemin (10 mg/kg) + tin(IV) protoporphyrin (SnPP), a hemeoxygenase-1 (HO-1) enzyme inhibitor, were administered daily for 21 days. Various behavioral tests (immobility period, locomotor activity, grip strength, and anxiety) and estimations of biochemical parameters (lipid peroxidation, nitrite, and GSH), mitochondrial complex dysfunctions (complexes I and II), and neurotransmitters (dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine and their metabolites) were subsequently assessed. Animals exposed to 10 min of forced swimming session for 21 days showed a fatigue-like behavior (as increase in immobility period, decreased grip strength, and anxiety) and biochemical alteration observed by increased oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and neurotransmitter level alteration. Treatment with hemin (5 and 10 mg/kg) for 21 days significantly improved the decreased immobility period, increased locomotor activity, and improved anxiety-like behavior, oxidative defense, mitochondrial complex dysfunction, and neurotransmitter level in the brain. Further, these observations were reversed by SnPP, suggesting that the antifatigue effect of hemin is HO-1 dependent. The present study highlights the protective role of hemin against experimental CFS-induced behavioral, biochemical, and neurotransmitter alterations.

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Abbreviations

CFS:

chronic fatigue stress

DA:

dopamine

DOPAC:

3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid

FST:

forced swimming test

GSH:

reduced glutathione

HO-1:

heme oxygenase

HVA:

homovanillic acid

LPO:

lipid peroxidation

NE:

norepinephrine

SnPP:

tin protoporphyrin

5-HT:

serotonin

5-HIAA:

5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacology, I.S.F. College of Pharmacy, Moga, Punjab, India

    Vandana Thakur, Sumit Jamwal, Mandeep Kumar & Puneet Kumar

  2. Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University, Bathinda, India

    Vikrant Rahi

  3. Department of Pharmacology, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, India

    Puneet Kumar

Authors
  1. Vandana Thakur
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  2. Sumit Jamwal
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  3. Mandeep Kumar
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  4. Vikrant Rahi
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  5. Puneet Kumar
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Correspondence to Puneet Kumar.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical Statement

The protocol of the study was approved by the Institutional Animal Ethics Committee (IAEC) Approval No. IAEC/CPCSEA/M14/P246 and was carried out in accordance with guidelines for the use and care of experimental animals. All the experiments for a given treatment were performed using age-matched animals to avoid variability between experimental groups.

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Thakur, V., Jamwal, S., Kumar, M. et al. Protective Effect of Hemin Against Experimental Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in Mice: Possible Role of Neurotransmitters. Neurotox Res 38, 359–369 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12640-020-00231-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12640-020-00231-y

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