Effect of Artesunate vs Memantine in Aluminum Chloride Induced Model of Neurotoxicity in Rats

Alzheimer disease is one of the commonest neurological diseases which is characterized by amyloid plaques accumulation in multiple brain regions. This study investigated the potential neuroprotective effect of artesunate on aluminum induced neurotoxicity vs memantine in rats. 40 male albino Wistar rats were divided randomly into 4 groups as follow: Group 1 negative control, group 2 positive control group induced by ammonium chloride, group 3 rats treated by NH4Cl + artesunate solution, group 4 rats treated by NH4Cl + memantine S.C. spatial Memory and Learning were evaluated using Morris Water Maze (MWM) test. Malondialdehyde (MDA) and reduced glutathione (GSH) levels were measured in cerebral cortex tissue homogenate. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) concentrations were measured in rat cerebral cortex tissue homogenate using rat enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. Real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (Real-time qRT-PCR) for Caspase-3, Bcl-2 and iNOS gene expression was measured in rat cerebral cortex. Slices from cerebral cortex were studied by histopathological examination. Artesunate significantly decreased MDA level and inhibited iNOS, caspase and upregulated Bcl-2 gene expression in cerebral cortex. ART increased significantly antioxidant level GSH, and decreased significantly TNF-alpha and IL-B levels. It reduced significantly 1ry retention latency, 2ry retention latency and initial acquisition latency. It also improved brain histopathology and decreased amyloid plaque deposition. ART exerted neuroprotective effect through oxidative stress correction and enhancement of antiapoptotic markers in neuronal cells of the cerebral cortex.