Cypermethrin-induced cortical neurons apoptosis via the Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway

Pesticide residue is a common problem worldwide. Cypermethrin is a type II pyrethroid pesticide that has been widely used in recent years. It has become a widespread residual pesticide in the environment and agricultural products. The neurotoxicity of cypermethrin remains a matter of concern. However, few studies have evaluated its toxicity on cerebral cortical neurons. As the center of the nervous system, the cerebral cortex is involved in a series of biological processes, such as learning, memory, emotions, and movement. The Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway has been considered to play a protective role in several central nervous system (CNS) diseases. We investigated whether this pathway plays a protective role in cypermethrin-induced apoptosis of the cortical neurons. We established a cypermethrin-induced apoptosis model in the cortical neurons using different cypermethrin doses and different incubation periods. The changes in Nrf2 protein and mRNA expression and its downstream genes HO-1 and NQO1 were detected by quantitative real-time PCR and Western blotting to study the role of the Nrf2/ARE pathway in cypermethrin-induced apoptosis of the cortical neurons. The results showed that the Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway has a protective effect in cypermethrin-induced apoptosis of the cortical neurons. However, this protective effect of the Nrf2/ARE pathway is very limited and is dependent on the exposure dose and exposure period of cypermethrin.