Dapagliflozin Ameliorates Doxorubicin-Induced Chemobrain and Cognitive Abnormalities in Rats: Modulation of AKT/GSK-3β and Wnt/β-Catenin Pathways

Cognitive impairments are frequently observed in cancer survivors who received chemotherapy based on doxorubicin (DOX), attributable to oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and the apoptotic effect of DOX. Dapagliflozin (DAPA) has gained significant attention attributable to its powerful anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-apoptotic characteristics. The present investigation seeks to assess the possible neuroprotective properties of DAPA in alleviating neurodegeneration and cognitive dysfunction caused by DOX. Chemobrain was induced by DOX (2 mg/kg, i.p.) once weekly for four weeks. Additionally, rats were treated with DAPA (2 mg/kg, p.o.) for 28 consecutive days. DAPA markedly mitigated behavioral deficits associated with cognitive impairment induced by DOX, as demonstrated by cognitive behavioral tests. Likewise, DAPA reversed histopathological abnormalities. Mechanistically, DAPA alleviated the oxidative stress induced by DOX by reducing tissue levels of NADPH oxidase 4 (NOX4) and malondialdehyde (MDA) while enhancing the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GSH). Additionally, DAPA suppressed neuroinflammation by attenuating the production of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) in brain tissue, as well as the signaling pathways involved in apoptosis, including the Protein Kinase B (AKT)/Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3 beta (GSK-3β) pathway and the Wingless-related integration site (Wnt)/β-catenin pathway. Further evidence of DAPA’s anti-apoptotic effects was attributed to a decrease in the immunohistochemical expression of total caspase-3 and the p65 subunit of NF-κB (NF-κB-p65). DAPA induces neuroprotection against DOX-induced cognitive deterioration by providing antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic effects.

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