Necroptosis signaling in spatial memory impairment caused by Aflatoxin B1 in male mice; involvement of the nitric oxide pathway.

Aflatoxin B1 is the most toxic form of aflatoxins found in food. Nitric oxide in the hippocampus is essential for learning and memory. Necroptosis plays a role in cell death and pathology of many diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases. This study aimed to explore the role of the nitric oxide pathway and necroptosis signaling in Aflatoxin B1 neurotoxicity. A total of 35 male NMRI mice were divided into 5 groups as follows: Control group, Aflatoxin B1, Aflatoxin B1+L-Arginine, Aflatoxin B1+Aminoguanidine, and Aflatoxin B1+L-NAME. The spatial memory of the mice was assessed using the Barnes Maze test, and Western blot was conducted to evaluate the expression of RIP1, RIP3 and MLKL biomarkers in the hippocampus of mice brain. The behavioral tests indicated a significant memory impairment caused by Aflatoxin B1, which was significantly altered by L-Name and Aminoguanidine. The molecular tests showed an elevation of RIP1, RIP3 and MLKL biomarkers triggered by Aflatoxin B1 and a significant neutralization was then observed by L-Name. This study demonstrated that necroptosis pathway could be a possible mechanism of AFB1-induced memory damages and the nitric oxide pathway could play a role in altering these changes.