Study Of The Protective Effect Of Melatonin On Oxidative Damage Induced By Acrylamide In Nerve Cells

Acrylamide (ACR) is used in a variety of industrial settings such as wastewatermanagement, cosmetic manufacturing, dye synthesis and in scientific laboratories for theelectrophoretic separation of macromolecules. In addition to occupational sources ofexposure, ACR is also present in cigarettes and is a main food contaminant formed duringthe high-tem perature preparation of certain potato- or grain-based products, for example,French fries, crackers, and bread. ACR is a well-documented neurotoxicant in both humansand laboratory animals. Subchronic, low-level occupational exposure of humans to ACRproduced neurotoxicity characterized by ataxia, skeletal muscle weakness, and numbness ofthe hands and feet. Daily exposure of laboratory animals to ACR was associated withprogressive neurological signs that resemble the neurotoxicity occurring in humans, thatwas, ataxia and skeletal muscle weakness. The exact mechanism underlying forneurotoxicity has not been completely clear yet , oxidative damage was suggested to be oneof the causes of neurotoxicity induced by ACR while vitamin C and vitamin E could reducethe symptoms.Melatonin was found to be protective in a number of pathological conditions including ischemia/reperfusion, inflammation, ionizing radiation and hypoxia. In addition, melatoninis a potent free radical scavenger with a broad spectrum of antioxidant capability. It readilycrosses all morphophysiological barriers, such as the blood–brain barrier, due to its highlipophilicity and hydrophilicity. Thus its pharmacological use may potentially protectagainst oxidative stress occurring anywhere in the organism.In this research, we examined the ability of MT to protect against oxidative damageinduced by ACR in nerve cells. Moreover, the possible mechanism of MT was also studied.