title: Chronic Pyruvate Supplementation Increases Exploratory Activity and Brain Energy Reserves in Young and Middle-Aged Mice.
abstract: Numerous studies have reported neuroprotective effects of pyruvate when given in systemic injections. Impaired glucose uptake and metabolism are found in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and in AD mouse models. We tested whether dietary pyruvate supplementation is able to provide added energy supply to brain and thereby attenuate aging- or AD-related cognitive impairment. Mice received ~800 mg/kg/day Na-pyruvate in their chow for 2-6 months. In middle-aged wild-type mice and in 6.5-month-old APP/PS1 mice, pyruvate facilitated spatial learning and increased exploration of a novel odor. However, in passive avoidance task for fear memory, the treatment group was clearly impaired. Independent of age, long-term pyruvate increased explorative behavior, which likely explains the paradoxical impairment in passive avoidance. We also assessed pyruvate effects on body weight, muscle force, and endurance, and found no effects. Metabolic postmortem assays revealed increased energy compounds in nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy as well as increased brain glycogen storages in the pyruvate group. Pyruvate supplementation may counteract aging-related behavioral impairment, but its beneficial effect seems related to increased explorative activity rather than direct memory enhancement.
authors.affiliation: A. I. Virtanen Institute, University of Eastern Finland , Kuopio , Finland.
authors.forename: Hennariikka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Koivisto
authors.affiliation: A. I. Virtanen Institute, University of Eastern Finland , Kuopio , Finland.
authors.forename: Henri
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Leinonen
authors.affiliation: A. I. Virtanen Institute, University of Eastern Finland , Kuopio , Finland.
authors.forename: Mari
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Puurula
authors.affiliation: Biology Department, Faculty of Science, Suez University , Suez , Egypt.
authors.forename: Hani Sayed
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Hafez
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, v. v. i. , Prague , Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Glenda Alquicer
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Barrera
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen , Copenhagen , Denmark.
authors.forename: Malin H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Stridh
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen , Copenhagen , Denmark.
authors.forename: Helle S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Waagepetersen
authors.affiliation: NMR Metabolomics Laboratory, School of Pharmacy, University of Eastern Finland , Kuopio , Finland.
authors.forename: Mika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tiainen
authors.affiliation: NMR Metabolomics Laboratory, School of Pharmacy, University of Eastern Finland , Kuopio , Finland.
authors.forename: Pasi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Soininen
authors.affiliation: Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale UMR_S 1106, Institut de Neurosciences des Systèmes, Aix-Marseille Université , Marseille , France.
authors.forename: Yuri
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zilberter
authors.affiliation: A. I. Virtanen Institute, University of Eastern Finland , Kuopio , Finland.
authors.forename: Heikki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tanila
keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; aging; explorative activity; glycogen; memory