title: A blueberry-enriched diet provides cellular protection against oxidative stress and reduces a kainate-induced learning impairment in rats.
abstract: Young male Fischer-344 rats were fed a diet containing 2% blueberry (BB) extract or control diet for at least 8 weeks and then received bilateral hippocampal injections of kainic acid (KA 200 ng/0.5 microl) or phosphate buffered saline (PBS). One week later rats were trained in one-way active footshock avoidance in a straight runway followed the next day by training in a footshock motivated 14-unit T-maze with documented sensitivity to hippocampal glutamatergic manipulations. Based on analyses of several performance variables, KA-treated rats exhibited clearly impaired learning performance; however, the BB diet significantly reduced this impairment. Supporting the behavioral findings, stereological assessment of CA1 pyramidal neurons documented greater neuronal loss in KA-treated controls compared to KA-treated rats on the BB diet. In an in vitro experiment, FaO cells grown in medium supplemented with serum from BB-fed rats had enhanced viability after exposure to hydrogen peroxide. These findings suggest that BB supplementation may protect against neurodegeneration and cognitive impairment mediated by excitotoxicity and oxidative stress.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Experimental Gerontology, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, 5600 Nathan Shock Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
authors.forename: Kara B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Duffy
authors.forename: Edward L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Spangler
authors.forename: Bryan D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Devan
authors.forename: Zhihong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Jonna L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Bowker
authors.forename: Anne M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Janas
authors.forename: Adrienne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hagepanos
authors.forename: Robin K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Minor
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: DeCabo
authors.forename: Peter R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Mouton
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Shukitt-Hale
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Joseph
authors.forename: Donald K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Ingram
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D029798:Blueberry Plants / Q000737:chemistry*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry; D007608:Kainic Acid; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000379:methods; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; D007608:Kainic Acid