Tualang Honey Protects the Rat Midbrain and Lung against Repeated Paraquat Exposure

Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2017:2017:4605782. doi: 10.1155/2017/4605782. Epub 2017 Jan 3.

Abstract

Paraquat (PQ) is a dopaminergic neurotoxin and a well-known pneumotoxicant that exerts its toxic effect via oxidative stress-mediated cellular injuries. This study investigated the protective effects of Tualang honey against PQ-induced toxicity in the midbrain and lungs of rats. The rats were orally treated with distilled water (2 mL/kg/day), Tualang honey (1.0 g/kg/day), or ubiquinol (0.2 g/kg/day) throughout the experimental period. Two weeks after the respective treatments, the rats were injected intraperitoneally with saline (1 mL/kg/week) or PQ (10 mg/kg/week) once per week for four consecutive weeks. After four weekly exposures to PQ, the glutathione peroxidase activity and the number of tyrosine-hydroxylase immunopositive neurons in the midbrain were significantly decreased in animals from group PQ (p < 0.05). The lungs of animals from group PQ showed significantly decreased activity of superoxide dismutase and glutathione-S-transferase. Treatment with Tualang honey ameliorated the toxic effects observed in the midbrain and lungs. The beneficial effects of Tualang honey were comparable to those of ubiquinol, which was used as a positive control. These findings suggest that treatment with Tualang honey may protect against PQ-induced toxicity in the rat midbrain and lung.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antioxidants / pharmacology
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Herbicides / toxicity*
  • Honey*
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Lung / drug effects*
  • Male
  • Mesencephalon / drug effects*
  • Neuroprotective Agents / pharmacology
  • Paraquat / toxicity*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Substances

  • Antioxidants
  • Herbicides
  • Neuroprotective Agents
  • Paraquat