Efeitos da exposição ao alumínio sobre parâmetros neurológicos, reprodutores, cardiovasculares e bioquímicos em ratos

Abstract

Aluminum (Al) is the most important environmental and human contaminant. While a good deal of research has been conducted on the acute toxic effects of Al, little is known about the effects of longer-term exposure at human dietary Al levels. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of 60-day Al exposure at low doses on Central Nervous System (CNS), Peripheral Nervous System (PNS), male reproductive system and cardiovascular system for comparison with a model of exposure known to produce toxicity in rats. Three-month-old male Wistar rats were divided into two major groups: 1) Grou 1, low aluminum levels - rats were treated orally by drinking water for 60 days as follows: a) Control – received ultrapure drinking water; b) Aluminum at 1.5 mg/kg b.w. and c) Aluminum at 8.3 mg/kg b.w. and 2) Group 2, high aluminum level - rats were treated through oral gavages for 42 days as follows: a) Control – received ultrapure water; b) Aluminum at 100 mg/kg b.w. Al treatment even at low doses promoted recognition memory impairment seen in object recognition memory testing and catalepsy behavior in rats. Moreover, Al increased hippocampal reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid peroxidation levels, reduced antioxidant capacity and decreased acetylcholinesterase activity. On PNS, Al promoted the development of mechanical allodynia, increased inflammation in the sciatic nerve, systemic oxidative stress and, is able to be retained in the sciatic nerve. Regarding the male reproductive system, Al decreased sperm count, daily sperm production, sperm motility, normal morphological sperm, impaired testis histology; increased oxidative stress in reproductive organs and inflammation in testis, showing that low concentrations of Al in testes (3.35 μg/g) are sufficient to impair 16 spermatogenesis and sperm quality. On cardiovascular system, Al increased systolic blood pressure, decreased acetylcholine-induced relaxation, increased response to phenylephrine, decreased endothelial modulation of vasoconstrictor responses, the bioavailability of nitric oxide, the involvement of potassium channels on vascular responses, as well as increased ROS production from NAD(P)H oxidase and contractile prostanoids mainly from COX-2 in both aorta and mesenteric resistance arteries (MRA). Al exposure increased vascular ROS production and lipid peroxidation as well as altered the antioxidant status in aorta and MRA. Al decreased vascular eNOS and SOD1 mRNA levels and increased the NAD(P)H oxidase 1, COX-2 and TXA-2 R mRNA levels. Taken together, our data demonstrate that 60-day subchronic exposure to low doses of Al from feed and added to the water, which reflect human dietary Al intake, reaches a threshold sufficient to promote adverse effects on SNC, PNS, male reproductive system and cardiovascular system. Moreover, these effects were almost the same as Al exposure at much higher levels.