Fullerenols Prevent Neuron Death and Reduce Oxidative Stress in Drosophila Huntington's Disease Model

• Published in: Cells (Basel, Switzerland) Switzerland), 2022-12, Vol.12 (1), p.170
• Main Authors: Bolshakova, Olga I, Borisenkova, Alina A, Golomidov, Ilya M, Komissarov, Artem E, Slobodina, Alexandra D, Ryabova, Elena V, Ryabokon, Irina S, Latypova, Evgenia M, Slepneva, Elizaveta E, Sarantseva, Svetlana V
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Age; Animals; Antioxidants; Brain research; Cell death; Disease; Drosophila; Drosophila melanogaster; Experiments; Fullerenes; Fullerenes - pharmacology; fullerenols; Humans; Huntingtin; Huntington Disease - drug therapy; Huntington Disease - genetics; Huntington Disease - metabolism; Huntington's disease; Huntingtons disease; Insects; Life span; Neurodegeneration; Neurodegenerative diseases; Neurons - metabolism; Neuroprotection; Oxidative Stress; Pathogenesis; Proteins; Supplements
• ISSN: 2073-4409; 2073-4409
• DOI: 10.3390/cells12010170

Huntington's disease (HD) is one of the human neurodegenerative diseases for which there is no effective treatment. Therefore, there is a strong demand for a novel neuroprotective agent that can alleviate its course. Fullerene derivatives are considered to be such agents; however, they need to be comprehensively investigated in model organisms. In this work, neuroprotective activity of C (OH) and C O(OH) fullerenols was analyzed for the first time in a transgenic model of HD. Lifespan, behavior, oxidative stress level and age-related neurodegeneration were assessed in flies with the pathogenic Huntingtin protein expression in nerve cells. Feed supplementation with hydroxylated C fullerene and C O dimer oxide molecules was shown to diminish the oxidative stress level and neurodegenerative processes in the flies' brains. Thus, fullerenes displayed neuroprotective activity in this model.