title: Phenolic acid intake, delivered via moderate champagne wine consumption, improves spatial working memory via the modulation of hippocampal and cortical protein expression/activation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  While much data exist for the effects of flavonoid-rich foods on spatial memory in rodents, there are no such data for foods/beverages predominantly containing hydroxycinnamates and phenolic acids. To address this, we investigated the effects of moderate Champagne wine intake, which is rich in these components, on spatial memory and related mechanisms relative to the alcohol- and energy-matched controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In contrast to the isocaloric and alcohol-matched controls, supplementation with Champagne wine (1.78 ml/kg BW, alcohol 12.5% vol.) for 6 weeks led to an improvement in spatial working memory in aged rodents. Targeted protein arrays indicated that these behavioral effects were paralleled by the differential expression of a number of hippocampal and cortical proteins (relative to the isocaloric control group), including those involved in signal transduction, neuroplasticity, apoptosis, and cell cycle regulation. Western immunoblotting confirmed the differential modulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, cAMP response-element-binding protein (CREB), p38, dystrophin, 2',3'-cyclic-nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), and Bcl-xL in response to Champagne supplementation compared to the control drink, and the modulation of mTOR, Bcl-xL, and CREB in response to alcohol supplementation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Our data suggest that smaller phenolics such as gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, tyrosol, caftaric acid, and caffeic acid, in addition to flavonoids, are capable of exerting improvements in spatial memory via the modulation in hippocampal signaling and protein expression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Changes in spatial working memory induced by the Champagne supplementation are linked to the effects of absorbed phenolics on cytoskeletal proteins, neurotrophin expression, and the effects of alcohol on the regulation of apoptotic events in the hippocampus and cortex.
authors: 1 Molecular Nutrition Group, Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics, School of Chemistry, Food and Pharmacy, University of Reading , Reading, United Kingdom .
authors: Giulia
authors: G
authors: Corona
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Vauzour
authors: Justine
authors: J
authors: Hercelin
authors: Claire M
authors: CM
authors: Williams
authors: Jeremy P E
authors: JP
authors: Spencer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002109:Caffeic Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D062385:Hydroxybenzoates / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014920:Wine
chemical_list: D002109:Caffeic Acids; D062385:Hydroxybenzoates; C009091:protocatechuic acid; C017616:phenolic acid; C040048:caffeic acid