Repositori URV

Identifier: TDX:751

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/TDX751

Authors:
Garcia Soldevila, Tània

Abstract:
Aluminum is an abundant element in the environment, which has a considerable number of usesand industrial applications. However, aluminum is a non essential metal, with no importantbiological propierties. Environmental and experimental studies has shown that aluminum is apotential toxic and neurotoxic metal with important risks to human health.Aluminum has been implicated in various neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer'sdisease (AD). Various mechanisms have been proposed for Al-induced neurotoxicity, including freeradical damage via enhanced lipid peroxidation, impaired glucose metabolism, effects on signaltransduction and protein modification, alterations on the axonal transport, and alteration ofphosphorylation levels of neurofilaments, as well as, neuronal death.On the other hand, melatonin is a known antioxidant, which can directly act as free radicalscavenger, or indirectly by inducing the expression of some genes linked to the antioxidantdefense. Also, desferoxamine (DFO) is an effective iron and aluminum chelator that has beenwidely used to facilitate aluminum removal in chronic aluminum overload in patients with end-stagerenal failure under long-term dialysis.The aim of these study was to evaluate neurotoxics effects of oral aluminum exposure oncognitive, oxidative stress parameters and metal levels in a mice model for Alzheimer's disease(Tg2576 APPswe mice) and to evaluate the possible protective role of melatonin and DFO.Results showed that aluminum accumulates in predominance in hippocampus of mice aftertreatment.In general terms, the biochemical changes observed in hipocamppus, cortex and cerebellum ofTg2576 and wild mice suggest that aluminum acts as a pro-oxidant agent while melatonin exertsan antioxidant action independent of the animal model.