Investigating anxiety like behavior and P2Y gene expression changes in the cerebral hemisphere of male rats during copper toxicity and treatment with vit C

Investigating anxiety like behavior and P2Y gene expression changes in the cerebral hemisphere of male rats during copper toxicity and treatment with vit C
Somaye Asadipour,^1,* Homeira Hatami,² Seyed Mehdi Banan,³
1. Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
3. Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
Introduction: Divalent ions such as copper are essential for proper brain function but high levels of copper can be toxic by causing oxidative stress. To control this effects we can use vitamin c as an antioxidant. P2Y receptors are a family of purinergic G protein-coupled receptors, stimulated by nucleotides such as adenosine triphosphate, adenosine diphosphate. There is linkage between purinergic P2Y receptors and mitochondria toxicity. In this study we measured the P2Y gene expression changes and anxiety like behaviors in rats following copper toxicity and treatment with vit C.
Methods: Eighteen male Wistar rats were divided into three groups (n=6). Control, copper sulfate (10 mg/kg; i.p) and vitamin C (100 mg/kg; i.p) and copper sulfate +vitamin C (100 mg/kg; i.p) doses for 10 days. The exploratory behavior and general activity of animals were evaluated by elevated plus maze after injection. After receiving treatments, the animals were decapitated and their cerebral hemispheres were removed and the expression of P2Ygene assayed using RT- PCR. One-way ANOVA and post-hoc Tukey test were used for data analyzing.
Results: Data analyzing showed that the frequency of entry in the open arm of the elevated plus maze device in vitamin C receiving group and copper sulfate + vitamin C receiving group, decreased compared to the control group (p<0.01, p<0.05 respectively). The frequency of entry in the open arm in the group receiving copper has no significant difference compared to the control group (p>0.05). There is no significant difference between vitamin C group and copper sulfate + vitamin C group compared to the control group (p>0.05). There is no significant difference between vitamin C group and copper sulfate + vitamin C group (p>0.05). The duration of presence in the open arm of the elevated plus maze device in copper sulfate group and vitamin C group, significantly decreased compared to the control group (p<0.001). The duration of presence in the open arm in copper sulfate group and vitamin C group, significantly decreased compared to the copper sulfate + vitamin C group (p<0.001). There is no significant difference between copper sulfate + vitamin C group and control group (p>0.05). There is no significant difference between vitamin C group and copper sulfate group (p>0.05). The P2Y gene expression in copper sulfate + vitamin C group, increased compared to the vitamin C group (p<0.001). There is no significant difference between copper sulfate group and vitamin C group and copper sulfate + vitamin C group compared to the control group (p>0.05). There is no significant difference between vitamin C group and copper sulfate + vitamin C group, compared to the copper sulfate group (p>0.05).
Conclusion: Surprisingly data analyzing showed administration of vitamin C alone and with copper increased the rate of anxiety like behaviors and most of animals did not experience of open arm entry. Also the usage of vit c with copper increased the level of p2Y gene expression. May be the co-administration of vit c and copper is needed to start p2Y gene expression but more research is necessary.
Keywords: Copper sulfate, Vit C, P2Y gene expression