Sub-chronic exposure of Rotenone induce-synuclein aggregation and Apoptosis but decreased BDNF expression of Zebrafish Brain

DOI: 10.5176/2345-7813_CNN14.06

Authors: Husnul Khotimah, Mulyohadi Ali, Sutiman B. Sumitro, M. Aris Widodo

Abstract:

Rotenone is a pesticide that is widely used to kill insects and nuisance fish in lakes. The mechanism of toxicity of rotenone is primarily mediated by its potent mitochondrial complex I inhibition. The etiology of Parkinson’s disease (PD) is unclear but appears to involve mitochondrial dysfunction, proteasome inhibition, and environmental toxins. In this study, we examined the role of BDNF (Brain-derived neurotrophic factor) as neuroprotection, -synuclein and apoptosis as hallmark of PD. We used adult zebrafish (Daniorerio) and exposed to 5 g/L rotenone for 28 days. Measurement of BDNF, apoptosis and -synuclein by immunohistochemistry and western bloting to observed -synuclein aggregation. The results showed that rotenone decrease BDNF expression, increasing -synuclein expression and aggregation that seems both of that leading to apoptosis of neuronal cells. We also measured the locomotor activity of zebrafish and we found that rotenone significantly decreased zebrafish motility. Together, these data suggest that rotenone-induced decreases locomotor activity, BDNF expression, increasing -synuclein expression and aggregation and also apoptosis of dopaminergic neuron.

Keywords: BDNF, α-synuclein, apoptosis, rotenone, locomotor activity, Daniorerio