Co-administration of coenzyme Q10 and curcumin mitigates cognitive deficits and exerts neuroprotective effects in aluminum chloride-induced Alzheimer's disease in aged mice

Abstract

Aluminum chloride (AlCl₃), a known neurotoxic and Alzheimerogenic metal disrupts redox homeostasis which plays a pivotal role in pathophysiology of neurodegenerative disorders, particularly cognitive decline. The current study was designed to unveil the long-term neuroprotective outcomes and efficacy of CoQ10 and curcumin low dose (100 mg/kg each) combination in 18-months old geriatric male Balb/c mice subjected to AlCl₃-prompted memory derangements (200 mg/kg in water bottles) for 28 days. The neuroprotective properties driven by antioxidant mechanisms were assessed via observing cellular pathology in key-memory related brain regions including the cornuammonis (CA3 and DG) and cortex 2/3 layer. Our outcomes revealed that AlCl₃ exposure significantly reduced spatial learning and memory. In contrast, CoQ10 and curcumin combinatorial regime markedly mitigated cognitive deficits Vs. individual high-dose in AlCl₃-treated animals as demonstrated by their improved performance in neurobehavioral tests such as the Y-maze, novel object recognition, passive avoidance and Morris-water maze test. Additionally, CoQ10 and curcumin co-administration restored redox balance by significantly reducing the levels of oxidative stressor (MDA) and increasing the anti-oxidant capacity (SOD,GPx). AchE is an enzyme involved in acetylcholine breakdown which negatively impacts acetylcholine levels and memory function. AlCl₃ exposure elevated AchE levels in mice brains vs. treatment. This neurochemical alteration was notably reversed in the dual-treatment group. Furthermore, CoQ10 and curcumin ameliorated AlCl₃-induced neurotoxicity by preserving neuronal cytoarchitecture in both cortical and hippocampal regions. In conclusion, CoQ10 and curcumin combination might attenuate memory loss induced by AlCl₃-intoxication via restoring aberrant AchE activity, enhanced anti-oxidant defenses and salvaging the deleterious neuronal damage.