Lead (Pb) induced Oxidative Stress as a Mechanism to Cause Neurotoxicity in Drosophila melanogaster

The widespread use of lead (Pb) has caused global contamination, inevitable human exposure, and public health problems. Pb neurotoxicity has been linked to various human diseases, but its associated mechanism causing neurotoxicity is unknown. Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism has been used to study the mechanism involved in Pb-caused neurotoxicity and the potential role of antioxidants in ameliorating its harmful effects. The larval feeding technique was adopted to administer different concentrations of Pb (0.2-0.8 mM) to Oregon-R (ORR), superoxide dismutase (Sod), or catalase (Cat) overexpressing, and Sod or Cat knockdown flies to analyse Pb load, oxidative stress components, DNA damage, apoptosis and vacuolation in the brain. The results revealed that Pb accumulation in the Drosophila brain induces oxidative stress by generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid peroxidation (LPO), depleting antioxidant enzymes. Molecular docking studies have evidenced it. Pb directly binds to antioxidants and major grooves of DNA, leading to DNA damage. Increased DNA damage, apoptosis, vacuolation in brains of Pb-treated ORR, Sod, or Cat knockdown flies; and on the contrary, reduced oxidative DNA damage, apoptosis, and vacuolation in brains of Pb treated Sod or Cat overexpressed flies put forward that oxidative stress is the mechanism in Pb caused neurotoxicity.