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Free radical biology in neurological manifestations: mechanisms to therapeutics interventions

  • Mutagenic Factors in the Environment Impacting Human and Animal Health
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Abstract

Recent advancements and growing attention about free radicals (ROS) and redox signaling enable the scientific fraternity to consider their involvement in the pathophysiology of inflammatory diseases, metabolic disorders, and neurological defects. Free radicals increase the concentration of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in the biological system through different endogenous sources and thus increased the overall oxidative stress. An increase in oxidative stress causes cell death through different signaling mechanisms such as mitochondrial impairment, cell-cycle arrest, DNA damage response, inflammation, negative regulation of protein, and lipid peroxidation. Thus, an appropriate balance between free radicals and antioxidants becomes crucial to maintain physiological function. Since the 1brain requires high oxygen for its functioning, it is highly vulnerable to free radical generation and enhanced ROS in the brain adversely affects axonal regeneration and synaptic plasticity, which results in neuronal cell death. In addition, increased ROS in the brain alters various signaling pathways such as apoptosis, autophagy, inflammation and microglial activation, DNA damage response, and cell-cycle arrest, leading to memory and learning defects. Mounting evidence suggests the potential involvement of micro-RNAs, circular-RNAs, natural and dietary compounds, synthetic inhibitors, and heat-shock proteins as therapeutic agents to combat neurological diseases. Herein, we explain the mechanism of free radical generation and its role in mitochondrial, protein, and lipid peroxidation biology. Further, we discuss the negative role of free radicals in synaptic plasticity and axonal regeneration through the modulation of various signaling molecules and also in the involvement of free radicals in various neurological diseases and their potential therapeutic approaches.

Graphical abstract

The primary cause of free radical generation is drug overdosing, industrial air pollution, toxic heavy metals, ionizing radiation, smoking, alcohol, pesticides, and ultraviolet radiation. Excessive generation of free radicals inside the cell R1Q1 increases reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, which causes oxidative damage. An increase in oxidative damage alters different cellular pathways and processes such as mitochondrial impairment, DNA damage response, cell cycle arrest, and inflammatory response, leading to pathogenesis and progression of neurodegenerative disease other neurological defects.

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Abbreviations

NDD:

neurodegenerative disease

HSP:

heat shock proteins

FR:

free radical

ROS:

reactive oxygen species

RNS:

reactive nitrogen species

NADPH:

nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate

NOS:

nitric oxide synthase

SOR:

superoxide reductase

SOD:

superoxide dismutase

GPx:

glutathione peroxidase

ncRNA:

non-coding RNA

DUB:

deubiquitinase

GSH:

glutathione

ER:

endoplasmic reticulum

ETC:

electron transport chain

NOX:

NADPH oxidase

Ero1:

ER oxidoreductase

XOH:

xanthine oxidase

8-oxo-dG:

8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine

AD:

Alzheimer’s disease

8-OHG:

8-hydroxyguanosine

ALS:

amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

PUFA:

polyunsaturated fatty acids

MDA:

malondialdehyde

4-HNE:

4-hydroxynonenal

PD:

Parkinson’s disease

GSH-Re:

glutathione reductase

HD:

Huntington’s disease

mtDNA:

mitochondrial DNA

Nrf2:

nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2

ARE:

antioxidant response element

NF-κB:

nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells

NMDA:

N-methyl-d-aspartate

FGF10:

fibroblast growth factor 10

NGF:

nerve growth factor

PI3K:

phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase

PKB:

protein kinase B

DRG:

dorsal root ganglia

NCX1:

sodium channel exchanger 1

Drp1:

dynamin-rated protein 1

Aβ:

β-amyloid

MPTP:

1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine

PTEN:

phosphatase and tensin homolog

HO1:

heme oxygenase-1

HIF-1α:

hypoxia-inducible factor 1α

MFN2:

mitofusin-2

EGFR:

epidermal growth factor receptor

ZNRF1:

zinc and ring finger 1

CRMP2:

collapsin response mediator protein 2

sEH:

epoxide hydrolase

Sirt1:

sirtuin 1

p-JNK:

c-Jun N-terminal kinases

γ-GC:

γ-glutamylcysteine

GSSG:

glutathione disulfide

2-APB:

2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate

SMC:

Se-methylselenocysteine

iASPP:

inhibitor of apoptosis-stimulating protein of p53

APP:

amyloid precursor protein

PS1:

presenilin 1

AMPA:

α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid

8-OHdG:

8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine

Bax:

bcl-2-like protein 4

Bcl-2:

B-cell lymphoma 2

MAPK:

mitogen-activated protein kinase

Bim:

Bcl-2-like protein 11

NBR1:

neighbor of BRCA1 gene 1 protein

ULK1:

Unc-51 like autophagy activating kinase

ATG:

autophagy-related protein

DJ-1:

protein/nucleic acid deglycase 1

PINK-1:

PTEN-induced kinase 1

TLR4:

toll-like receptor 4

IKK:

IκB kinase

IL-1β:

interleukin-1β and COX-2

cyclooxygenase-2

CNS:

central nervous system

CDK:

cyclin-dependent kinase

γ-H2AX:

H2A histone family member X

E2F1:

E2F transcription factor 1

RBFOX3:

RNA binding fox-1 homolog 3

SP1:

specific protein 1

CSF:

cerebrospinal fluid

MPP+ :

1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium

SBE:

single base excision

SSB:

single-strand break

AP:

apurinic/apyrimidinic

BER:

base excision repair

NER:

nucleotide excision repair

NHEJ:

non-homogenous endpoint jointing

PTM:

post-translational modifications

OGG1:

8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase 1

H4R3me2s:

histone H4 dimethyl Arg3 symmetric

PARP1:

poly [ADP-ribose] polymerase 1

TET2:

tet methylcytosine dioxygenase 2

DNMT1:

DNA (cytosine-5)-methyltransferase 1

FTD:

frontotemporal dementia

AMD:

age-related macular degeneration

VEGF-A:

vascular endothelial growth factor A

SD:

Sprague-Dawley

ICH:

intracerebral hemorrhage

MS:

multiple sclerosis

PM:

particulate matter

BACE1:

(beta-secretase 1)

EGCG:

epigallocatechin-3-gallate

LRRK2:

leucine-rich repeat kinase 2

VMAT2:

vesicular monoamine transporter 2

MAO:

monoamine oxidase

DAT:

dopamine transporter

6-OHDA:

6-hydroxydopamine

HTT:

huntingtin

SVCT:

sodium-vitamin C co-transporter

NO:

nitric oxide

iNOS:

inducible NOS

XO:

xanthine oxidase

TBI:

traumatic brain injury

GFAP:

glial fibrillary acidic protein

TNF-α:

tumor necrosis factor-alpha

IL-1α:

interleukin 1 alpha

IL-1β:

interleukin 1 beta

MMP:

metalloproteinase

PLGA:

poly lactic-co-glycolic acid

BSA:

bovine serum albumin

UPS:

ubiquitin-proteasome system

UCH:

ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase

USP14:

ubiquitin specific peptidase 14

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the senior management of Delhi Technological University for their constant support and infrastructure. The authors would like to thank Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, for providing junior research fellowship to R.T. DBT/2018/DTU/1137.

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Contributions

P. K. conceived the idea of this paper. All authors have read the paper and agreed to submit. Data is collected and arranged by R. T., R. G., M. S., D. S., and A. D. Art work is done by R. G. R. T. and R. G. contributed equally to this work. R. A. K. and P. K. gave their critical comments and supervision and structured this paper. The paper was written by R. T., R. G., M. S., D. S., A. D., and P. K.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Pravir Kumar.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Responsible Editor: Lotfi Aleya

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Highlights

• An increase in free radical concentration causes ROS accumulation resulting in oxidative stress.

• DNA damage response, lipid peroxidation, and structural changes are hallmarks of free radical–induced toxicity.

• Accumulation of free radicals alters axonal regeneration and synaptic plasticity.

• Free radicals modulate biological pathways involved in NDDs.

• Dietary compounds act as antioxidants, which rescue from neurodegeneration.

• Natural compounds, micro-RNAs, and HSP act as potential therapeutic agents.

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Tripathi, R., Gupta, R., Sahu, M. et al. Free radical biology in neurological manifestations: mechanisms to therapeutics interventions. Environ Sci Pollut Res 29, 62160–62207 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-16693-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-16693-2

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