Effects of Melatonin on Chemotherapy-Induced Cognitive Impairment and Dendritic Spine Abnormalities in rats

Abstract ID 101024 Poster Board 134 Chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment, commonly referred to as 'chemobrain,' is a prevalent issue affecting a significant proportion of cancer patients, lacking established pharmacological remedies. This condition is often linked to neuroinflammation and oxidative stress. Melatonin, a hormone originating from the pineal gland, is recognized for its antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective properties. This research explores the impact of cisplatin-induced cognitive impairment in rats and assesses the potential of melatonin to ameliorate or reverse such impairment. The evaluation of cognitive function involved the use of the Novel Location Recognition Test (NLRT) to measure working memory under conditions of cisplatin treatment alone or in conjunction with melatonin. Subsequently, the rats' brains were collected, stained with Golgi-Cox stain, and subjected to examination, with a particular focus on the hippocampaus, where dendritic spine density was quantified. Cisplatin treatment resulted in a significant decline in NLRT performance among rats (p < 0.05). However, co-administration of melatonin effectively prevented these deficits (p<0.05). Furthermore, cisplatin induced a marked reduction in dendritic spine density within the hippocampus, particularly in the CA3 area (p<0.0001), while simultaneous administration of melatonin significantly reversed this reduction (p<0.001). In conclusion, this study demonstrates the potential of melatonin to mitigate spatial memory deficits induced by cisplatin and rectify abnormalities in dendritic spine density in rats. Given the established safety profile and widespread use of melatonin as a supplement, further exploration of its application as a palliative intervention in cancer treatment is warranted. This work was supported by the Deanship of Scientific Research in The University of Jordan [grant no.276/2021-2022].