Oroxylum Indicum ameliorates chemotherapy induced cognitive impairment

PLoS One. 2021 Jun 3;16(6):e0252522. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0252522. eCollection 2021.

Abstract

While chemotherapy is the most effective therapeutic approach for treating a variety of cancer patients, commonly used chemotherapeutic agents, often induce several adverse effects. Escalating evidence indicates that chemotherapeutics, particularly doxorubicin (DOX) and cyclophosphamide (CPS), induce cognitive impairment associated with central nervous system toxicity. This study was performed to determine neuroprotective effects of Oroxylum indicum extract (OIE) in regard to preventing chemotherapy induced cognitive impairment (CICI) occurring after 4 cycles of DOX (2mg/kg) and CPS (50mg/kg) combination chemotherapy in male C57BL/6J mice. OIE significantly prevented the chemotherapy impaired short-term cognitive performance, exploratory behavior associated with cognitive performance, cognitive performance, and spatial learning and memory in the Y-maze, Open-Field, Novel Object Recognition, and Morris Water Maze tests, respectively. These data suggest that OIE protects from the CICI. OIE decreased the reactive oxygen species and lipid peroxide generated by the chemotherapy treatment in the brain, while also blocking the chemotherapy-induced glutathione depletion. These results establish that OIE exhibits potent antioxidant activity in chemotherapy treated mice. Notably, OIE significantly increased the Complex-I and Complex-IV activities in the brain, indicating that OIE enhances mitochondrial function in the brain. In silico analysis of the major active chemical constituents (Oroxylin A, Baicalein and Chrysin) of OIE indicated that OIE has a favorable absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME) profile. Taken together, our results are consistent with the conclusion that OIE prevents CICI by counteracting oxidative stress and perhaps by improving mitochondrial function.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Brain / drug effects
  • Brain / metabolism*
  • Chemotherapy-Related Cognitive Impairment / drug therapy
  • Chemotherapy-Related Cognitive Impairment / physiopathology*
  • Cognitive Dysfunction / drug therapy
  • Cognitive Dysfunction / physiopathology*
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mitochondria / drug effects
  • Mitochondria / metabolism
  • Neuroprotective Agents / therapeutic use
  • Oxidation-Reduction / drug effects
  • Oxidative Stress / drug effects
  • Plant Extracts / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Neuroprotective Agents
  • Plant Extracts

Grants and funding

Sabinsa Corporation supplied and characterized the product and provided funding for this study. Sabinsa Corporation also provided support for this study in the form of salaries for Muhammed Majeed and Kalyanam Nagabhushanam. The specific roles of these authors are articulated in the ‘author contributions’ section. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.