Browse by author
Lookup NU author(s): Professor Tiago OuteiroORCiD
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
© 2024 by the authors. Cognitive impairment and anxiety are common side effects of chemotherapy, particularly with the use of doxorubicin (DOX), known as “chemobrain”. This study aimed to examine the dose-dependent effects of DOX on cognitive decline, anxiety, and locomotor activity in healthy female Wistar rats. The rats were divided into groups receiving low (2 mg/kg), intermediate (4 mg/kg), and high (5 mg/kg) doses of DOX for four weeks, alongside a control group. Behavioral tests, including open field, elevated plus maze, and Y-maze tests, assessed anxiety, locomotion, and cognitive performance, while brain tissue analysis evaluated neuroinflammation using markers such as GFAP and Iba-1. The results showed that all doses of DOX induced anxiety-like behavior, reduced locomotion, and caused neuroinflammation in the hippocampus, with more severe effects at higher doses. Notably, high-dose DOX also caused short-term memory deficits. These findings highlight the dose-dependent nature of DOX’s impact on behavior and cognition, suggesting that DOX plays a key role in the development of cognitive symptoms during chemotherapy. Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms behind these effects and to explore potential interventions.
Author(s): Amaro-Leal A, Afonso AI, Machado F, Shvachiy L, Rocha I, Outeiro TF, Geraldes V
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Biology
Year: 2024
Volume: 13
Issue: 11
Online publication date: 16/11/2024
Acceptance date: 14/11/2024
Date deposited: 09/12/2024
ISSN (electronic): 2079-7737
Publisher: MDPI
URL: https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13110939
DOI: 10.3390/biology13110939
Data Access Statement: Data are contained within the article and Supplementary Materials.
Altmetrics provided by Altmetric
