posted on 2019-01-17, 00:00authored byDayane A. Quinteros, Alana Witt Hansen, Bruna Bellaver, Larissa D. Bobermin, Rianne R. Pulcinelli, Solange Bandiera, Greice Caletti, Paula E. R. Bitencourt, André Quincozes-Santos, Rosane Gomez
Devastating
effects of exposure to alcohol and tobacco smoke on
health are extensively reported in the literature. However, few studies
have attempted to elucidate the consequences of their combined use
on the central nervous system. Here we studied the effect of this
combined use on some oxidative, inflammatory, and neurotrophic parameters
in the hippocampus, striatum, and frontal cortex of rats. Adult Wistar
rats were allocated into control (CT), alcohol (AL), tobacco smoke
(TB), or combined (ALTB) groups. Rats were exposed to environmental
air (CT and AL groups) or to the smoke from six cigarettes (TB and
ALTB groups) immediately after tap water (CT and TB) or 2 g of alcohol/kg
(AL and ALTB) oral gavage administration, twice a day, for 4 weeks.
On day 28, rats were euthanized and areas of the brain were dissected
to evaluate some cellular redox parameters, pro-inflammatory cytokine
levels, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels. A one-way
analysis of variance showed that the ALTB combined treatment significantly
increased oxidative stress levels in the hippocampus. ALTB also increased
interleukin-1β levels in the striatum and frontal cortex and
tumoral necrosis factor-α levels in the frontal cortex compared
with those of AL, TB, and CT rats. Combined treatment also decreased
the BDNF levels in the frontal cortex of rats. Oxidative damage was
found, more importantly, in the hippocampus, and inflammatory parameters
were extended to all areas of the brain that were studied. Our results
showed an interaction between alcohol and tobacco smoke according
to the area of the brain, suggesting an additional risk of neural
damage in alcoholics who smoke.