1. Brain antioxidant status and gene expressions of nicotinic and dopamine receptors are improved by black seed oil administration in cigarette smoke or nicotine vapour-exposed rats.
- Author
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Adejare A, Oloyo AK, Ishola IO, Busari AA, Ismail-Badmus KB, Abdulrazaq MM, Osifala OO, and Salami MO
- Subjects
- Animals, Male, Rats, Receptors, Dopamine D2 metabolism, Receptors, Dopamine D2 genetics, Receptors, Dopamine D2 drug effects, Gene Expression drug effects, Smoke adverse effects, Rats, Sprague-Dawley, Receptors, Nicotinic metabolism, Receptors, Nicotinic genetics, Receptors, Nicotinic drug effects, Nicotine pharmacology, Antioxidants pharmacology, Antioxidants metabolism, Brain metabolism, Brain drug effects, Plant Oils pharmacology, Carum
- Abstract
Background: Smoking is associated with dysregulation of the antioxidant system and addiction., Aim: This study sought to ascertain the effect of Nigella Sativa (NS) oil on the antioxidant system, nicotine/tobacco addiction as well as the expressions of α4β2 nicotinic (nAChR) and dopamine type-2 (DRD2) receptors in selected brain regions of the rat., Methods: Thirty male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 6 groups comprising of vehicle-treated control, NS oil only, Smoke only, Smoke + NS oil, Nicotine only and Nicotine + NS oil. Animals were passively exposed to cigarette smoke or nicotine vapour for 12 weeks, however, NS oil treatment commenced from 9th-12th week of the experimental duration., Results: Nicotine vapour and cigarette smoke-induced increase in cotinine level were significantly ameliorated by NS treatment. Cigarette smoke or nicotine vapour exposure significantly (p<0.05) decreased the level of antioxidant enzymes while increasing malondialdehyde level in the brain homogenates of the rats. Administration of NS oil significantly (p<0.05) reversed the reduced antioxidant level. Cigarette-smoke also significantly increased α4-nAChR expression in the frontal cortex and olfactory bulb compared to control. Nicotine vapour significantly increased DRD2 expression only in the olfactory cortex. NS oil administration reduced both the cigarette-smoke-induced increase in α4-nAChR and nicotine vapour-induced increase in DRD2 gene expression only in the olfactory cortex., Conclusion: Findings from this study suggest that NS oil improves brain antioxidant status while ameliorating nicotine vapour and cigarette smoke addiction through down-regulation of α4-nAChR and DRD2 gene expressions in discrete brain regions in Sprague-Dawley rats.
- Published
- 2023
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