Inflammatory and neurochemical changes associated with 3-nitropropionic acid neurotoxicity

Administration of 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NP), a hemotoxin of fungal origin, is associated with a rare neurodegenerative disease, Huntington disease. The present study was carried out to investigate the inflammatory and neurochemical changes associated with the subchronic administration of 3-nitropropionic acid in rats. The administration of 3-nitropropionic acid (20 mg/kg SC and 15 mg/kg IP for 7 days) resulted in a significant increase in inflammatory mediators such as tissue necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, total nitric oxide, and nitrite levels in brain homogenate. It also resulted in a significant decrease in catecholamine neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin (5-HT) and an increase in turnover of these neurotransmitters as compared to the control group, estimated by HPLC with ECD detector. Inflammatory and neurochemical changes were in accordance to the behavioral and biochemical changes induced by 3-NP. The present study suggests the involvement of inflammatory changes as an important causal factor for neurodegeneration associated with 3-NP.