title: Protective effects of a catechin-rich extract on the hippocampal formation and spatial memory in aging rats.
abstract: Green tea (GT) displays strong anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties mostly attributed to (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), while experiments focusing on other catechins are scarce. With the present work we intended to analyze the neuroprotective effects of prolonged consumption of a GT extract (GTE) rich in catechins but poor in EGCG and other GT bioactive components that could also afford benefit. The endpoints evaluated were aging-induced biochemical and morphological changes in the rat hippocampal formation (HF) and behavioral alterations. Male Wistar rats aged 12 months were treated with GTE until 19 months of age. This group of animals was compared with control groups aged 19 (C-19M) or 12 months (C-12M). We found that aging increased oxidative markers but GTE consumption protected proteins and lipids against oxidation. The age-associated increase in lipofuscin content and lysosomal volume was also prevented by treatment with GTE. The dendritic arborizations of dentate granule cells of GTE-treated animals presented plastic changes accompanied by an improved spatial learning evaluated with the Morris water maze. Altogether our results demonstrate that the consumption of an extract rich in catechins other than EGCG protected the HF from aging-related declines contributing to improve the redox status and preventing the structural damage observed in old animals, with repercussions on behavioral performance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Assunção
authors.forename: Nikolay
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lukoyanov
authors.forename: Armando
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cardoso
authors.forename: Félix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: José Paulo
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Andrade
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D002392:Catechin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003712:Dendrites / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008247:Lysosomes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D050050:Protein Carbonylation / Q000187:drug effects; D017966:Pyramidal Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D016622:Silver Staining; D013028:Space Perception / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D002392:Catechin; C045651:epigallocatechin gallate