Astaxanthin improves cognitive deficits from oxidative stress, nitric oxide synthase and inflammation through upregulation of PI3K/Akt in diabetes rat.
Diabetes-induced cognitive deficit (DICD) is a prevalent disease with substantial morbidity and mortality and as a global health problem with serious economic burdens. Astaxanthin (AST) has a good prospect in production of nutritional, medical, and particularly functional health drug. The present study was aimed to study the effect of AST on DICD in diabetes mellitus (DM) rat through suppression of oxidative stress, nitric oxide synthase (NOS) pathway, inflammatory reaction and upregulation of PI3K/Akt. In the study, Morris water maze teat was used to detect the cognitive function of DM rat. Afterwards, we measured the body weight and blood glucose levels of DM rats. Then, oxidative stress, the activities of eNOS and iNOS, and inflammatory factors were analyzed using a commercial kit in cerebral cortex and hippocampus. Finally, the caspase-3/9 and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt expressions were also checkout with Real Time PCR and immunoblotting, respectively. In this experiment, AST could availably enhance the body weight and reduce blood glucose levels of DM rats. Moreover, AST could observably perfect cognitive function of DM rat. Next, the activities of oxidative stress, nitric oxide synthase and inflammation were distinctly diminution in DM rat, after the treatment of AST. Furthermore, our present results demonstrated that AST had the protective effect on the brain cell of DM rat, decreased the caspase-3/9 expression and promoted the expression of PI3K/Akt in cerebral cortex and hippocampus.
Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University Nanjing 210029, China ; Department of Neurology, Suqian People's Hospital of Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Group Suqian, 223800, China.
Lianbao
L
Xu
Department of Pediatrics, Suqian People's Hospital of Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Group Suqian, 223800, China.
Juan
J
Zhu
Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University Nanjing 210029, China.
Weibing
W
Yin
Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University Nanjing 210029, China.
Xinsheng
X
Ding
D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D053453:Caspase 9 / Q000378:metabolism; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000201:enzymology / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology; D007249:Inflammation / Q000201:enzymology / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000378:metabolism*; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000378:metabolism; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D058539:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase / Q000378:metabolism*; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism*; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D013997:Time Factors; D024341:Xanthophylls / Q000494:pharmacology
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D001786:Blood Glucose; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D024341:Xanthophylls; C005948:astaxanthine; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; C496318:Nos2 protein, rat; C496316:Nos3 protein, rat; D058539:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; C505410:Casp3 protein, rat; C506435:Casp9 protein, rat; D053148:Caspase 3; D053453:Caspase 9
Diabetes-induced cognitive deficit; PI3K/Akt; astaxanthin; inflammatory; nitric oxide synthase; oxidative stress