Nanostructures of hydrated C60 fullerene (C60HyFn) protect rat brain against alcohol impact and attenuate behavioral impairments of alcoholized animals

It is well known that chronic ethyl alcohol (EtOH) consumption is capable to injure brain cells and to cause essential abnormalities in behavioral characteristics of animals addicted to alcohol. In this work we for the first time have shown that administration of aqueous solutions of hydrated C-60 fullerenes (C(60)HyFn) with C-60 concentration of 30 nM as a drinking water during chronic alcoholization of rats (a) protects the tissues of central nervous system (CNS) from damage caused by oxidative stress with high efficacy, (b) prevents the pathological loss of both astrocytes (the main cells of CNS) and astrocytic marker, glial fibrillary acidic proteins (GFAP) and, as consequence, (c) due to their adaptogenic effects, C(60)HyFn significantly improves behavioral response and eliminates emotional deficits induced by chronic alcohol uptake. The wide range of beneficial biological effects, zero-toxicity, and efficacy even in super-small doses provide a rationale for the possible application of C(60)HyFn for the treatment of alcohol-induced encephalopathy as well as alcoholism prophylaxis. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.