Investigation of the toxic effects of acrylamide on myelination during pregnancy and postpartum period in rats and the protective role of vitamin E

Aim: Acrylamide (ACR) is a water-soluble, colorless, and odorless crystalline substance. In addition to being an important industrial material, AKR is found in fried and baked carbohydrate-rich foods. ACR is known as a classic axonal toxicant that causes neuropathy. Vitamin E is considered the most important fat-soluble antioxidant vitamin that protects the brain from oxidative damage. In this study, it was aimed to reveal the effect of ACR on the development of myelin in the brain at the molecular level and to examine how vitamin E affects this toxic effect. Material and Method: The study was started by dividing 40 pregnant rats into 4 groups and after lactation, the study was continued with 10 offspring rat from each group. 40 offspring rats were equally divided into Control, Vitamin E, ACR, ACR + Vitamin E groups. Following the ACR administration, Water Maze test was applied to evaluate cognitive function. To evaluate the level of demyelination and remyelination, Western blot analyzes of MBP, MAG, MOG and BDNF, pro-BDNF proteins were performed. The mRNA levels of MBP, MAG, MOG and BDNF were determined by RT-PCR. In addition, the degeneration of myelin and glial cells was examined by immunohistochemistry and electron microscopic analysis. Results: Analysis results showed that ACR administration decreased protein and gene expressions of myelin-related proteins MBP, MAG, MOG, BDNF, and pro-BDNF. The findings were confirmed by histopathological, immunohistochemical, and microscopic examinations. The application of vitamin E improved this negative effect of ACR. Conclusion: It has been observed that ACR may play a role in the pathogenesis of myelin-related neurodegenerative diseases by causing demyelination during gestation, lactation, and post-lactation. In addition, it has been understood that vitamin E supports myelination as a strong neuroprotective vitamin against this toxicity caused by ACR.