Cyanidin-3-O-galactoside and blueberry extracts supplementation improves spatial memory and regulates hippocampal ERK expression in senescence-accelerated mice.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether the antioxidation and the regulation on the Extracellular Regulated Protein Kinases (ERK) signaling pathway are involved in the protective effects of blueberry on central nervous system.


METHODS
30 Senescence-accelerated mice prone 8 (SAMP8) mice were divided into three groups and treated with normal diet, blueberry extracts (200 mg/kg•bw/day) and cyaniding-3-O-galactoside (Cy-3-GAL) (50 mg/kg•bw/day) from blueberry for 8 weeks. 10 SAMR1 mice were set as control group. The capacity of spatial memory was assessed by Passive avoidance task and Morris water maze. Histological analyses on hippocampus were completed. Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) activity and the expression of ERK were detected.


RESULTS
Both Cy-3-GAL and blueberry extracts were shown effective functions to relieve cellular injury, improve hippocampal neurons survival and inhibit the pyramidal cell layer damage. Cy-3-GAL and blueberry extracts also increased SOD activity and reduced MDA content in brain tissues and plasma, and increased hippocampal phosphorylated ERK (p-ERK) expression in SAMP8 mice. Further more, the passive avoidance task test showed that both the latency time and the number of errors were improved by Cy-3-GAL treatment, and the Morris Water Maze test showed significant decreases of latency were detected by Cy-3-GAL and blueberry extracts treatment on day 4.


CONCLUSIONS
Blueberry extracts may reverse the declines of cognitive and behavioral function in the ageing process through several pathways, including enhancing the capacity of antioxidation, altering stress signaling. Cy-3-GAL may be an important active ingredient for these biological effects.
Department of Nutrition and Food Security, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, 22 Qixiangtai Road, Tianjin 300070, China; Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Institute of Health and Environmental Medicine, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, 1 Dali Road, Tianjin 300050, China.
Long
L
Tan
Tianjin Agricultural College, 22 Jinjing Highway, Tianjin 300384, China; Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Institute of Health and Environmental Medicine, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, 1 Dali Road, Tianjin 300050, China.
Hong Peng
HP
Yang
Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Institute of Health and Environmental Medicine, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, 1 Dali Road, Tianjin 300050, China.
Wei
W
Pang
Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Institute of Health and Environmental Medicine, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, 1 Dali Road, Tianjin 300050, China; Center for Disease Control and Prevention, PLA Chengdu Military Area Command, Chengdu 610021, China.
Hao
H
Lu
Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Institute of Health and Environmental Medicine, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, 1 Dali Road, Tianjin 300050, China.
Yan Dan
YD
Hu
Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Institute of Health and Environmental Medicine, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, 1 Dali Road, Tianjin 300050, China.
Jing
J
Li
Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Institute of Health and Environmental Medicine, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, 1 Dali Road, Tianjin 300050, China.
Shi Jun
SJ
Lu
Department of Nutrition and Food Security, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, 22 Qixiangtai Road, Tianjin 300070, China.
Wan Qi
WQ
Zhang
Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Institute of Health and Environmental Medicine, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, 1 Dali Road, Tianjin 300050, China.
Yu Gang
YG
Jiang
D000375:Aging / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D000872:Anthocyanins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001362:Avoidance Learning; D029798:Blueberry Plants / Q000737:chemistry*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005697:Galactosides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D018782:Maze Learning; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D051379:Mice; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism
D000872:Anthocyanins; D005697:Galactosides; D010936:Plant Extracts; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; C546035:cyanidin 3-galactoside
Blueberry; Cognition; Cyanidin-3-O-galactoside; ERK; Oxidation; Senescence-accelerated mice