Myrtenol Ameliorates Recognition Memories’ Impairment and Anxiety-Like Behaviors Induced by Asthma by Mitigating Hippocampal Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in Rats

Abstract

Introduction: Asthma is related to neurochemical alterations which affect brain functions and lead to anxiety and cognitive dysfunctions. Myrtenol has sparked considerable interest due to its pharmacological effects, especially for the remediation of chronic disorders. Thus, the present research was designed to evaluate the impacts of myrtenol on anxiety-like behaviors, cognitive declines, inflammation, and oxidative stress in the hippocampus of asthmatic rats. Methods: Rats were allocated to five groups: control, asthma, asthma/vehicle, asthma/myrtenol, and asthma/budesonide. Asthma was elicited in the rats by ovalbumin, and the animals were then exposed to myrtenol inhalation. Anxiety-like behavior and memory were assessed by elevated plus maze (EPM) and novel object and location recognition tests. Interleukins (interleukin-6, -17, and -10), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), and oxidative stress biomarkers such as malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), Glutathione peroxidase (GPX), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in the hippocampus were assessed by the ELISA method. Results: The levels of IL-6, IL-17, TNF-α, and MDA decreased, but GPX, SOD, and TAC levels increased in the hippocampus of asthmatic animals due to myrtenol inhalation. Conclusion: Myrtenol diminished asthma-induced anxiety-like behaviors and cognitive deficits in asthmatic rats; these effects might have been typically mediated by a reduction in inflammation and oxidative stress.