title: Potential protective effect of taurine against dibromoacetonitrile-induced neurotoxicity in rats.
abstract: Dibromoacetonitrile (DBAN) is a disinfection by-product of water chlorination. Epidemiological studies indicate that it might present a potential hazard to human health. The present study aimed to investigate the possible neurotoxicity of DBAN in rats and possible protection by taurine. Based on initial dose-response experiment, DBAN (60 mg/kg) was administrated orally for 7 days. DBAN administration significantly impaired behavior of rats. Further, DBAN produced significant decrease of monoamines, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glutamate contents, acetylcholinestrase (AChE) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activities, in rat brain. On the other hand, a significant increase in malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO) contents and lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) activity was observed. Co-administration of taurine (200mg/kg, i.p.) with DBAN mitigated most tested parameters. In conclusion, the present study indicates that DBAN has the propensity to cause significant oxidative damage in rat brain. However, taurine has a promising role in attenuating the obtained hazardous effects of DBAN.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt. rhbondok@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Rabab H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Sayed
authors.forename: Hesham A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Salem
authors.forename: Bahia M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: El-Sayeh
mesh_terms: D000097:Acetonitriles / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D004202:Disinfectants / Q000633:toxicity*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D020258:Neurotoxicity Syndromes / Q000517:prevention & control; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D013654:Taurine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000097:Acetonitriles; D000975:Antioxidants; D004202:Disinfectants; D013654:Taurine; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D005978:Glutathione; C051715:dibromoacetonitrile