PUBLICATION

Protective effects of phenformin on zebrafish embryonic neurodevelopmental toxicity induced by X-ray radiation

Authors
Gan, L., Guo, M., Si, J., Zhang, J., Liu, Z., Zhao, J., Wang, F., Yan, J., Li, H., Zhang, H.
ID
ZDB-PUB-191114-9
Date
2019
Source
Artificial cells, nanomedicine, and biotechnology   47: 4202-4210 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Keywords
X-ray irradiation, neurodevelopmental protective effects, phenformin, zebrafish
MeSH Terms
  • Acetylcholinesterase/metabolism
  • Animals
  • Catalase/metabolism
  • Embryo, Nonmammalian/drug effects*
  • Embryo, Nonmammalian/metabolism
  • Embryo, Nonmammalian/physiology
  • Embryo, Nonmammalian/radiation effects*
  • Embryonic Development/drug effects*
  • Embryonic Development/radiation effects*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental/drug effects
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental/radiation effects
  • Heart Rate/drug effects
  • Heart Rate/radiation effects
  • Larva/drug effects
  • Larva/radiation effects
  • Malondialdehyde/metabolism
  • Movement/drug effects
  • Movement/radiation effects
  • Phenformin/pharmacology*
  • Radiation-Protective Agents/pharmacology*
  • Superoxide Dismutase/metabolism
  • X-Rays/adverse effects
  • Zebrafish/embryology*
PubMed
31713449 Full text @ Artif Cells Nanomed Biotechnol
Abstract
Radiotherapy (RT) is a common treatment for head and neck cancers, but central nervous system function can be impaired by clinical radiation doses. This experimental study evaluated the protective efficacy of the anti-hyperglycaemic/anti-neoplastic agent phenformin against radiation-induced developmental toxicity in zebrafish embryos. Zebrafish embryos pre-treated with 25 μM phenformin 1 h before x-ray irradiation were compared to irradiation-only embryos for mortality, hatching rate, morphology, spontaneous movement, heart beat, larval swimming, activities of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), malondialdehyde content (MDA, a by-product of membrane lipid oxidation), and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity. In addition, expression levels of multiple genes related to neural development and apoptosis (sod2, bdnf, ache, p53, bax, and bcl-2) were compared by RT-PCR and associated protein expression levels by western blotting. Pre-treatment with phenformin increased hatching rate, spontaneous movement, heart beat, and larval motor activity, decreased mortality and malformation rate, increased SOD, CAT, and AChE activities, and reduced MDA compared to irradiation-only embryos. The mRNA expression levels of anti-apoptotic sod2, bdnf, ache, and bcl-2 were enhanced while mRNA expression of p53 and pro-apoptotic bax were reduced in the phenformin pre-treatment group. Further, p53, Bax, and γ-H2AX (a biomarker of DNA damage) were downregulated while Bcl-2 and BDNF were upregulated by phenformin pre-treatment. Taken together, this study supports the protective efficacy of phenformin against radiation toxicity in zebrafish embryos by suppressing oxidative stress and ensuing apoptosis.
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