Inflammation and neurochemical alterations induced by oral aspartame administration in experimental rats.

Enas Ali Kamel

Volume : V, Issue : X, October - 2015

Inflammation and neurochemical alterations induced by oral aspartame administration in experimental rats.

Enas Ali Kamel

Abstract :

 The present study was aimed to investigate the effects of repeated oral administration of aspartame (in a daily acceptable dose 40mg/kg body weight) for 2, 4 and 6 weeks on oxidative stress and inflammation in ain tissue of rats . For this purpose, thirty six healthy adult wistar albino rats were divided into two groups; Group 1 (control group), Group 2 (aspartame group ): consisted of 18 animals were subdivided into three subgroups (6 per each) ; subgroup A, subgroup B and subgroupC, orally administrated aspartame (40mg/kg body weight) daily for 2,4 and 6 weeks ,respectively. Results showed that daily aspartame administration in a dose (40mg/kg body weight daily) for 4 and 6 weeks induced oxidative stress in rat‘s ain which was indicated by the significant increment in protein carbonyl content in association with significant decrease in reduced glutathione concentration (p<0.05). Also, there was a significant increase in ain interleukin–1 IL–1β (IL–1β) and tumor necrosis factor–α (TNF–α) production which accompanied with a significant decrease in ain–derived neurotrophic factor (BNDF) and serotonin levels in aspartame –treated rats for 6 weeks compared to 4 and 2 weeks intervals and their corresponding control rats (p <0.05). Acetyl choline esterase (AchE) activity was significantly decreased which accompanied by a significant increase in acetyl choline (Ach) concentration in ain homogenates in aspartame administrated groups for 4 and 6 weeks. It was concluded that repeated oral administration of aspartame induce neurotoxicity which progress with increasing cumulative doses of aspartame