Doxycycline and meloxicam can treat neuroinflammation by increasing activity of antioxidant enzymes in rat brain

Abstract

The aim of this study is to determine the effects of alone or combined usage of doxycycline and meloxicam on brain superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), malondialdehyde (MDA), and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 levels of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced brain inflammation. Totally 78 rats were divided into 5 groups; Healthy control (n=6), LPS (n=18, 0.05 mu g/mu L/rat, intracranially), LPS+D (n=18, LPS 0.05 mu g/mu L/rat, intracranially and doxycycline 40 mg/kg, intraperitoneally), LPS+M (n=18, LPS 0.05 mu g/mu L/rat, intracranially and meloxicam 2 mg/kg, intraperitoneally), LPS+Combination (n=18, LPS 0.05 mu g/mu L/rat, intracranially and simultaneously both drug combination) groups. Animals were euthanized at 1, 3 and 6 hours following injections and the brains were removed. Brain SOD, CAT, MDA and MMP-9 levels were determined by ELISA reader. Parameters of LPS groups generally different from Healthy control group. When compared to LPS group, increased SOD level of LPS+D at 3 hours and CAT levels of LPS+M and LPS+D groups were determined (P<0.05) at 3 and 6 hours, respectively. In addition, all treatments statistically significantly (P<0.05) decreased MMP-9 levels at 6 hours. In conclusion, doxycycline and meloxicam may show antioxidant effect via increasing antioxidant enzyme production in the brain; however combined usage of drugs may show more beneficial effect for neuroinflammation.