Selenium partially prevents cisplatin-induced neurotoxicity: a preliminary study

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Pharmacology
• Toxicology

Background:

• Cisplatin is a widely used chemotherapy agent with known neurotoxic side effects.
• Selenium has demonstrated neuroprotective properties in previous research.
• The interaction between selenium and cisplatin-induced neurotoxicity remains unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential neuroprotective effect of selenium against cisplatin-induced neurotoxicity in a rat model.
• To determine if selenium supplementation can mitigate the adverse neurological effects of cisplatin.

Main Methods:

• Twenty-one male Wistar albino rats were divided into control, cisplatin, and cisplatin-selenium groups.
• Cisplatin was administered intraperitoneally, while selenium was given orally prior to and during cisplatin treatment.
• Electrophysiological and histopathological examinations were conducted to assess neurotoxicity.

Main Results:

• Cisplatin administration significantly reduced nerve conduction velocity, compound action potential amplitude, and axon count compared to controls.
• Selenium co-administration partially reversed these cisplatin-induced neurotoxic effects.
• The parameters in the cisplatin-selenium group were significantly improved compared to the cisplatin-only group.

Conclusions:

• Cisplatin exhibits peripheral neurotoxic effects in rats.
• Selenium treatment partially prevents cisplatin-induced neurotoxicity.
• Co-administration of selenium with cisplatin may be a viable strategy to reduce the severity of peripheral neurotoxicity.