Effects of troxerutin on cognitive deficits and glutamate cysteine ligase subunits in the hippocampus of streptozotocin-induced type 1 diabetes mellitus rats

Increasing evidence demonstrates an association between diabetes and hippocampal neuron damage. This study aimed to determine the effects of troxerutin on cognitive deficits and glutamate cysteine ligase subunits (GCLM and GCLC) in the hippocampus of streptozotocin-induced type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) rats. At 12 weeks after streptozotocin injection, T1DM rats were randomly divided into 4 groups (n = 15 each group) to receive no treatment (T1DM), saline (T1DM + saline), alpha-lipoic acid (T1DM + alpha-lipoic acid), and troxerutin (T1DM + troxerutin), respectively, for 6 weeks. Meanwhile, 10 control animals (NC group) were assessed in parallel. Learning performance was evaluated by the Morris water maze. After treatment, hippocampi were collected for pathological examination by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. Next, hippocampal superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) levels were assessed. Finally, glutamate cysteine ligase catalytic (GCLC) and glutamate cysteine ligase modifier (GCLM) subunit mRNA and protein levels were quantified by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot, respectively. Compared with T1DM and T1DM + saline groups, escape latency was overtly reduced in T1DM + alpha-lipoic acid and T1DM + troxerutin groups. Significantly increased GCLM and GCLC mRNA levels, GCLC protein amounts, SOD activity, and GSH levels, and reduced MDA amounts were observed in T1DM + alpha-lipoic acid and T1DM + troxerutin groups. In T1DM and T1DM + saline groups, H&E staining showed less pyramidal cells in the hippocampus, with disorganized layers, karyopyknosis, decreased endochylema, and cavitation, effects relieved in T1DM + alpha-lipoic acid and T1DM + troxerutin groups. Troxerutin alleviates oxidative stress and promotes learning in streptozotocin-induced T1DM rats, a process involving GCLC expression.