Bisphenol A (BPA), an
endocrine disruptor, is widely used in the manufacture of different daily life products. Accumulating evidence supports the association between the increasing incidence of
neurodegenerative diseases and the BPA level in the environment. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the neuroprotective role of
melatonin against BPA-induced
mitochondrial dysfunction-mediated apoptosis in the brain. Herein, adult Sprague Dawley rats were administrated (subcutaneously) with BPA (100 μg/kg BW, 1 mg/kg BW, and 10 mg/kg BW) and
melatonin (4 mg/kg BW) for 16 days. Our results showed BPA exposure significantly increased the oxidative stress as demonstrated by increased
free radicals (ROS),
TBARs level, disrupted cellular architecture, and decreased
antioxidant enzymes including SOD, CAT, APX, POD, and GSH levels. Additionally, BPA treatment increased the expression of PUMA, p53, and Drp-1 resulting in apoptosis in the brain tissue of rats. However,
melatonin treatment significantly attenuated BPA-induced toxic effects by scavenging ROS, boosting
antioxidant enzyme activities, and interestingly enervated brain apoptosis by normalizing p53, PUMA, and Drp-1 expressions at both transcriptional and translational level. Moreover, the brain tissue histology also revealed the therapeutic potential of
melatonin by normalizing the cellular architecture. Conclusively, our finding suggests that
melatonin could alleviate oxidative stress and
mitochondrial dysfunction-linked apoptosis, rendering its neuroprotective potential against BPA-induced toxicity.