Taurine mitigates cognitive impairment induced by chronic co-exposure of male Wistar rats to chlorpyrifos and lead acetate

Highlight
• Chlorpyrifos and lead co-exposure induced oxidative stress and cognitive impairment.
• Oxidative stress and cognitive impairment were mitigated by taurine.
• Taurine is neuroprotective in Wistar rats co-exposed to chlorpyrifos and lead.

Organophosphate pesticides and heavy metals are ubiquitous environmental pollutants and neurotoxicants. We investigated the effects of taurine (an antioxidant; TA) on oxidative stress and cognition in male Wistar rats co-treated with chlorpyrifos (an organophosphate pesticide; CPF) and lead acetate (heavy metal; LA). The Wistar rats were divided into 5 groups of 10 rats each. The first two groups were administered with distilled water and soya oil respectively. The remaining three groups were administered with taurine (TA), 50 mg/kg body weight, CPF + LA group [CPF (4.25 mg/kg, 1/20 LD50] and LA (233.25 mg/kg, 1/20 LD50) and TA + CPF + LA group [TA (50 mg/kg), CPF (4.25 mg/kg) and LA (233.25 mg/kg)]. The xenobiotics were administered once daily by oral gavage for 16 weeks. The results showed reductions in the activities of brain antioxidant enzymes and acetylcholinesterase, increased lipoperoxidation and histopathological alterations of the cerebral cortex in the CPF + LA group. However, TA mitigated perturbations in the activities of the antioxidant enzymes and acetylcholinesterase, counteracted oxidative stress and brain lipoperoxidation and attenuated neuronal degeneration induced by joint CPF and LA-induced neurotoxicity. The results suggested that TA is neuroprotective following chronic co-exposure of rats to CPF and LA.