Drug delivery Resistance of Blood-Brain-Barrier: Cajanus cajan and Lycopersicon esculentum down-regulated Multi-drug Resistance1 Expression in Cerebrum of Rats

Adelaja Akinlolu; Faoziyat Sulaiman; Olawuyi Oloruntoba; Shamsudeen Suleiman; Aishat Abdulsalam; Nnaemeka Asogwa

Adelaja Akinlolu Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Federal University of Health Sciences Otukpo, Benue State, Nigeria.
Faoziyat Sulaiman Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria
Olawuyi Oloruntoba Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria
Shamsudeen Suleiman Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria
Aishat Abdulsalam Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria
Nnaemeka Asogwa Central Research Laboratory, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria

Keywords: Ethidium bromide, neurotoxicity, Multi-drug resistance protein1, Cajanus cajan, Lycopersicon esculentum

Abstract

P-glycoprotein (multi-drug resistance 1 protein) is a brain endothelial cell protein which functions as a drug efflux transporter and strengthens the shielding effect of the blood brain barrier making drug delivery to the brain a challenging task. This study examined neuroprotective potential of two ethnomedicinal plants, Cajanus cajan and Lycopersicon esculentum, on P-glycoprotein expression in ethidium bromide-induced neurotoxicity. Ethidium bromide-induced toxicity was achieved via application of 0.5 ml of a solution of 0.5 g/100 ml ethidium bromide in ethanol to the scraped ventral skin of 23 groups (n = 5) of adult rats (day 1). Groups 1 and 2 were post-treated with normal saline and tamsulosin hydrochloride, respectively (days 1-28). Nine groups (CC3-11) were post-treated with Cajanus cajan (aqueous, butanolic and ethanolic extracts of seeds, stems and leaves) (days 1-28). Twelve groups (LE3-14) were post-treated with Lycopersicon esculentum (aqueous, butanolic, ethanolic and n-hexane extracts of roots, stems and leaves) (days 1-28). Concentrations of P-glycoprotein in homogenates of cerebral cortices were determined using ELISA following anaesthetization using diethyl ether. Data were analysed using ANOVA with Tukey post-hoc test at p ≤ 0.05. Post-treatments with Cajanus cajan and Lycopersicon esculentum extracts resulted in significant downregulations of MDR1 in CC3, CC4, CC6-11 and LE3-14 compared with group 1. Cajanus cajan and Lycopersicon esculentum possess neuroprotective and anti-drug resistance potential.