Protective effect of cholecalciferol against cobalt-induced neurotoxicity in rats: ZO-1/iFABP, ChAT/AchE and antioxidant pathways as potential therapeutic targets.

Cobalt (Co) toxicity has been reported to produce central nervous system and gastrointestinal abnormalities. This study assessed the therapeutic effect of cholecalciferol (Cho) supplementation against damages caused by sub-acute (14-day) cobalt chloride (CoCl) exposure in the brain and intestines. Thirty-five male Wistar rats were divided equally into five groups: Group I (control) received no treatment; Group II received oral CoCl (100 mg/kg) only; Groups III, IV, and V received 1000, 3000 and 6000 IU/kg of cholecalciferol, respectively by oral gavage, and concurrently with CoCl.

Cerebellar and Olfactory Bulb Perturbations Induced by Vanadium Neurotoxicity in the African Giant Rat (Cricetomys gambianus, Waterhouse).

The African giant rat, AGR (Cricetomys gambianus) is a unique rodent known for its keen sense of smell which has enabled its use in the diagnosis of tuberculosis and demining activities in war torn countries. This keen sense of smell and the ability to navigate tight spaces are skills modulated by the olfactory bulb and cerebellum. While the brain is generally susceptible to environmental pollutants such as heavy metals, vanadium has predilection for these two brain regions.

Neuropathological profile of the African Giant Rat brain (Cricetomys gambianus) after natural exposure to heavy metal environmental pollution in the Nigerian Niger Delta.

Pollution by heavy metals is a threat to public health because of the adverse effects on multiple organ systems including the brain. Here, we used the African giant rat (AGR) as a novel sentinel host to assess the effect of heavy metal accumulation and consequential neuropathology upon the brain. For this study, AGR were collected from distinct geographical regions of Nigeria: the rain forest region of south-west Nigeria (Ibadan), the central north of Nigeria (Abuja), and in oil-polluted areas of south Nigeria (Port-Harcourt).

Cobalt-induced neuro-behavioural alterations are accompanied by profound Purkinje cell and gut-associated responses in rats.

Metal ions including cobalt (Co) ions reportedly exhibit neurotoxic and antimicrobial properties. We hypothesized that oral exposure to Co may have implications for gut-dysbiosis with possible alterations of microbiota-gut-brain signaling in the host. In this preliminary study, we sought to examine whether exposure of male Wistar rats to cobalt chloride (CoCl2) at 0, 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg for two weeks affects select neurobehavioural indices, vagus nerve and brain morphology along with evaluation of associated changes in faecal bacterial flora, faecal fatty acids and the morphology of the intestines.

Neocortex neurogenesis and maturation in the African greater cane rat.

Background: Neocortex development has been extensively studied in altricial rodents such as mouse and rat. Identification of alternative animal models along the "altricial-precocial" spectrum in order to better model and understand neocortex development is warranted. The Greater cane rat (GCR, Thyronomys swinderianus) is an indigenous precocial African rodent.