Abstract
Nickel (Ni) toxicity has been reported to produce biochemical and behavioral dysfunction. The present study was undertaken to examine whether Ni chronic administration can induce alterations of affective and cognitive behavior and oxidative stress in male and female rats. Twenty-four rats, for each gender, divided into control and three test groups (n = 6), were injected intraperitoneally with saline (0.9% NaCl) or NiCl2 (0.25 mg/kg, 0.5 mg/kg and 1 mg/kg) for 8 weeks. After treatment period, animals were tested in the open-field, elevated plus maze tests for anxiety-like behavior, and forced swimming test for depression-like behavior. The Morris Water Maze was used to evaluate the spatial learning and memory. The hippocampus of each animal was taken for biochemical examination. The results showed that Ni administration dose dependently increased anxiety-like behavior in both tests. A significant increase in depression-like symptoms was also exhibited by Ni treated rats. In the Morris Water Maze test, the spatial learning and memory were significantly impaired just in males treated with 1 mg/kg of Ni. With regard to biochemical analysis, activity of catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were significantly decreased, while the levels of nitric oxide (NO) and lipid peroxidation (LPO) in the hippocampus were significantly increased in the Ni-treated groups. Consequently, chronic Ni administration induced behavioral and biochemical dysfunctions.
Highlights
It is well known that nickel (Ni) is an essential element for human and several animal species [1,2].Imbalanced Ni homeostasis either by deficiency or by overload of this metal is associated with organ dysfunction that leads to various physiological and behavioral disorders
Time Spent in the Central Area (TCA)
This parameter was affected by Ni treatment (F(3.32) = 26.53, p < 0.001) (Figure 1A)
Summary
It is well known that nickel (Ni) is an essential element for human and several animal species [1,2].Imbalanced Ni homeostasis either by deficiency or by overload of this metal is associated with organ dysfunction that leads to various physiological and behavioral disorders. The nervous system is one of the systems affected by Ni toxicity [7] It may be taken up into the brain through failures of the blood–brain barrier (BBB), and via the olfactory pathway [8,9,10], and accumulates in the cerebral cortex and whole brain [8,11], leading to a cytotoxicity in different types of nerve cells [7,11,12]; a variety of neurological symptoms such as headaches, giddiness, tiredness, lethargy, and ataxia [6]; apoptosis of olfactory sensory and cerebral cortex neurons and behavioral deficiencies; and disrupts neurotransmitters [13,14,15,16]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
