Sodium Propionate Ameliorates Neuronal Impairment, Oxidative Stress, and Inflammation in High-fat Diet Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats

Background: Diabetes affects brain neurotransmitters, elicits neurological disorders. However, the treatment remains a global issue. This study investigated the neuroprotective effect of sodium propionate in high-fat diet/streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Methods: Fifty adult Wistar rats (100 - 150 g) were included. A freshly prepared 35 mgkg-1b.wt-1 streptozotocin was injected intraperitoneally to induce diabetes after 6 weeks of HFD feeding. The animals were divided into 5 groups (n = 10). Group 1: control; Group 2: control + 200 mg kg-1 b.wt-1 sodium propionate; Group 3: diabetic; Group 4 diabetic + 200 mgkg-1b.wt-1 sodium propionate, Group 5: diabetic + 200 mgkg-1b.wt-1 metformin, respectively. Blood and brain tissue samples were collected after sacrificing the animals for biochemical assay. Results: Brain epinephrine, norepinephrine, dopamine, serotonin, nitric oxide, acetylcholinesterase, triglyceride, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-6, and interleukin-10, malondialdehyde, caspase-3, insulin, fasting blood glucose, oral glucose tolerance and glycated hemoglobin were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in diabetic rats. Brain superoxide dismutase, catalase, reduced glutathione, B-cell lymphoma-2, and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol were significantly (p < 0.05) reduced. Sodium propionate supplementation reduced the brain epinephrine, norepinephrine, dopamine, serotonin, nitric oxide, acetylcholinesterase, malondialdehyde, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-6, interleukin-10, triglyceride, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, caspase-3, insulin, fasting blood glucose, oral glucose tolerance and glycated hemoglobin. Brain superoxide dismutase, catalase, reduced glutathione, B-cell lymphoma-2, and HDL-cholesterol increased. Conclusion: Sodium propionate modulates the brain neurotransmitters, improves antioxidants, and reduces neuronal oxidative stress and inflammation. Sodium propionate restored normal brain neurotransmission and could help to treat diabetes-associated neurological disorders.