Thymoquinone Protects Neurons in the Cerebellum of Rats through Mitigating Oxidative Stress and Inflammation Following High-Fat Diet Supplementation

Abstract

High-fat diet (HFD) is a major problem causing neuronal damage. Thymoquinone (TQ) could regulate oxidative stress and the inflammatory process. Hence, the present study elucidated the significant role of TQ on oxidative stress, inflammation, as well as morphological changes in the cerebellum of rats with HFD. Rats were divided into three groups as (1) control, (2) saturated HFD for eight weeks and (3) HFD supplementation (four weeks) followed by TQ 300 mg/kg/day treated (four weeks). After treatment, blood samples were collected to measure oxidative stress markers glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and inflammatory cytokines. Furthermore, neuronal morphological changes were also observed in the cerebellum of the rats. HFD rats show higher body weight (286.5 ± 7.4 g) as compared with the control group (224.67 ± 1.78 g). TQ treatment significantly (p < 0.05) lowered the body weight (225.83 ± 13.15 g). TQ produced a significant (p < 0.05) reduction in cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL). The antioxidative enzymes significantly reduced in HFD rats (GSH, 1.46 ± 0.36 mol/L and SOD, 99.13 ± 5.41 µmol/mL) as compared with the control group (GSH, 6.25 ± 0.36 mol/L and SOD, 159.67 ± 10.67 µmol/mL). MDA was increased significantly in HFD rats (2.05 ± 0.25 nmol/L) compared to the control group (0.695 ± 0.11 nmol/L). Surprisingly, treatment with TQ could improve the level of GSH, MDA, and SOD. TQ treatment significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the inflammatory markers as compared with HFD alone. TQ treatment minimizes neuronal damage as well as reduces inflammation and improves antioxidant enzymes. TQ can be considered as a promising agent in preventing the neuronal morphological changes in the cerebellum of obese populations.