Vitamin E supplementation prevents spatial learning deficits and dendritic alterations in aged apolipoprotein E-deficient mice.
Recent studies have suggested that altered function of apolipoprotein E might lead to Alzheimer's disease via oxidative stress. In this context, the objective of this study was to determine if antioxidative treatment with vitamin E was neuroprotective in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice. For this purpose, 1-month-old control and apolipoprotein E-deficient mice received dietary vitamin E for 12 months. We showed that, compared to apolipoprotein E-deficient mice who received a regular diet, mice treated with vitamin E displayed a significantly improved behavioural performance in the Morris water maze. This improved performance was associated with preservation of the dendritic structure in vitamin E-treated apolipoprotein E-deficient mice. In addition, whilst untreated apolipoprotein E-deficient mice displayed increased levels of lipid peroxidation and glutathione, vitamin E-treated mice showed near normal levels of both lipid peroxidation and glutathione. These results support the contention that vitamin E prevents the age-related neurodegenerative alterations in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice.
Veinbergs
I
I
Departments of Neurosciences and Pathology, University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, California 92093-0624, USA.
Mallory
M
M
Sagara
Y
Y
Masliah
E
E
D000818:Animals; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003712:Dendrites / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D012016:Reference Values; D013028:Space Perception; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*
D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D014810:Vitamin E