Abamectin-induced neurotoxicity and preventive effect of Ephedra essential oils against this toxicity in rats

This study aims to investigate the toxic effects of abamectin on the brain of wistar rats and evaluate the protective effects of essential oils derived from Ephedra sinica against this toxicity. To achieve this objective, various assessments were conducted after 21days of treatment. Behavioral tests were performed to assess any changes in the rats behavior due to abamectin exposure. Additionally, the activities of antioxidant defense enzymes such as GST, GPx and CAT were measured. Level of reduced glutathione (GSH) and MDA were also evaluated. Furthermore, the activity of AchE, an important enzyme in the nervous system, was examined histological sections of the rat brains were analyzed to observe any structural changes resulting from the exposure to Abamectin and/or ephedra sinica essential oils. The results indicated that the exposure of wistar rats to Abamectin at a dose of 0.019mg/kg/day led to behavioral modifications. Norever, it significantly increased glutathione and MDA level (p<0.001), while decreasing the activities of GST, GPx, CAT and AchE in the brain compared to the control group. These detrimental effects were accompanied by observable histological changes. However, when Abamectin supplementation was combined with essential oils of Ephedra Sinica at a dosage of 100mg/kg/day, significant improvements