Attenuation of smoke induced neuronal and physiological changes by bacoside rich extract in Wistar rats via down regulation of HO-1 and iNOS

Bacopa monniera is well known herbal medicine for its neuropharmacological effects. It alleviates variety of disorders including neuronal and physiological changes. Crackers smoke is a potent risk factor that leads to free radical mediated oxidative stress in vivo. The aim of the current study is to evaluate the protective efficacy of B. monniera extract (BME) against crackers smoke induced neuronal and physiological changes via modulating inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and hemeoxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression in rats. Rats were exposed to smoke for 1 h for a period of 3 weeks and consecutively treated with BME at three different dosages (i.e., 10, 20 and 40 mg/kg b.wt.). Our results elucidate that BME treatment ameliorates histopathalogical changes, reactive oxygen species levels, lipid peroxidation, acetylcholine esterase activity and brain neurotransmitter levels to normal. BME supplementation efficiently inhibited HO-1 expression and nitric oxide generation by down-regulating iNOS expression. Smoke induced depletion of antioxidant enzyme status, monoamine oxidase activity was also replenished by BME supplementation. Thus the present study indicates that BME ameliorates various impairments associated with neuronal and physiological changes in rats exposed to crackers smoke by its potent neuromodulatory, antioxidant and adaptogenic propensity.