Fullerenol nanoparticles decrease ischaemia-induced brain injury and oedema through inhibition of oxidative damage and aquaporin-1 expression in ischaemic stroke

Brain Inj. 2017;31(8):1142-1150. doi: 10.1080/02699052.2017.1300835. Epub 2017 May 16.

Abstract

Background: We examined the possible protective effects of fullerenol nanoparticles on brain injuries and oedema in experimental model of ischaemic stroke through inhibition of oxidative damage and aquaporin-1 (AQP-1) expression.

Methods: Experiment was done in three groups of rats (N = 66): sham, control ischaemia and ischaemic treatment. Ischaemia was induced by 90-minutes middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) followed by 24 hours of reperfusion. Rats received a dose of 10 mg/kg of fullerenol 30 minutes before MCAO. Infarction, brain oedema, malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitrate contents as well as mRNA level of AQP-1 were determined 24 hours after termination of MCAO.

Results: Administration of fullerenol before MCAO significantly reduced the infarction of cortex and striatum by 72 and 77%, respectively. MCAO induced brain oedema in control ischaemic rats (3.83 ± 0.53%), whereas, fullerenol significantly reduced it (0.91 ± 0.55%). The contents of MDA and nitrate increased in ischaemic hemispheres by 86 and 41%, respectively. Fullerenol considerably reduced the MDA and nitrate contents by 83 and 48%, respectively. Moreover, MCAO noticeably increased the mRNA level of AQP-1 in ischaemic hemispheres by 22%, whereas fullerenol significantly decreased it by 29%.

Discussion: Fullerenol is able to reduce ischaemia-induced brain injuries and oedema possibly through inhibition of oxidative damage and AQP-1 expression in ischaemic stroke.

Keywords: Ischaemic stroke; aquaporin-1; brain oedema; fullerenol; oxidative damage.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Aquaporin 1 / genetics
  • Aquaporin 1 / metabolism*
  • Brain Edema / drug therapy
  • Brain Edema / etiology
  • Brain Infarction / drug therapy
  • Brain Infarction / etiology
  • Brain Injuries / etiology*
  • Brain Injuries / therapy*
  • Cerebrovascular Circulation / drug effects
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Fullerenes / pharmacology*
  • Fullerenes / therapeutic use*
  • Gene Expression Regulation / drug effects
  • Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / complications*
  • Male
  • Malondialdehyde / metabolism
  • Nanoparticles / therapeutic use
  • Neurologic Examination
  • Nitrates / metabolism
  • Oxidative Stress / drug effects*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Statistics, Nonparametric

Substances

  • Fullerenes
  • Nitrates
  • Aquaporin 1
  • fullerenol
  • Malondialdehyde