title: Ameliorative effects of egg white hydrolysate on recognition memory impairments associated with chronic exposure to low mercury concentration.
abstract: The study aimed to investigate whether the Egg White Hydrolysate (EWH) is able to prevent the recognition memory disorders associated with long-term Hg exposure in rats. For this, male Wistar rats were treated for 60 days with: a) Untreated: saline solution (i.m.); b) Hydrolysate: EWH (1 g/kg/day, gavage); c) Mercury: HgCl2(1st dose 4.6 μg/kg, subsequent doses 0.07 μg/kg/day, i.m.); d) Hydrolysate-Mercury. Object recognition memory test was performed to verify Short (STM) and Long-Term Memory (LTM) and Open Field, Plus Maze and Tail Flick tests were performed as control for behavioural experiments. Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) in the hippocampus were determined by the dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) method, malondialdehyde (MDA) levels by TBARS, antioxidant power by FRAP assay and total Hg concentration by atomic fluorescence spectrometry. We confirm that the STM and LTM were impaired in adult rats exposed to Hg at low concentrations, which may be related to the increased metal deposition, ROS production and subsequent oxidative damage in the hippocampus. In addition, we demonstrated for the first time that EWH treatment is able to prevent memory impairment induced by Hg exposure, reducing Hg content and ROS production in the hippocampus. In conclusion, EWH prevents memory impairments induced by chronic exposure to low doses of Hg. These findings may represent a good public health strategy since they indicate that EWH is a promising candidate as a new natural therapy for heavy metal intoxication.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Physiology Laboratory, Universidade Federal do Pampa, BR 472, Km 592, Uruguaiana, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Electronic address: danize.rizzetti@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Danize Aparecida
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Rizzetti
authors.affiliation: Stress, Memory and Behavior Laboratory, Universidade Federal do Pampa, BR 472, Km 592, Uruguaiana, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
authors.forename: Caroline Dalla Colletta
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Altermann
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Physiology Laboratory, Universidade Federal do Pampa, BR 472, Km 592, Uruguaiana, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
authors.forename: Caroline Silveira
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Physiology Laboratory, Universidade Federal do Pampa, BR 472, Km 592, Uruguaiana, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
authors.forename: Franck Maciel
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Peçanha
authors.affiliation: Cardiac Electromechanical and Vascular Reactivity Laboratory, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Marechal Campos, 1468, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Dalton Valentim
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Vassallo
authors.affiliation: Histology Laboratory, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Atenas s/n, Alcorcón, Spain.
authors.forename: José Antonio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Uranga-Ocio
authors.affiliation: Bioactivity and Food Analysis Laboratory, Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias de la Alimentación, Nicolás Cabrera, 9, Campus Universitario de Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Marta Miguel
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Physiology Laboratory, Universidade Federal do Pampa, BR 472, Km 592, Uruguaiana, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
authors.forename: Giulia Alessandra
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Wiggers
authors.affiliation: Stress, Memory and Behavior Laboratory, Universidade Federal do Pampa, BR 472, Km 592, Uruguaiana, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
authors.forename: Pâmela Billig
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Mello-Carpes
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004529:Egg White; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008628:Mercury / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D011492:Protein Hydrolysates / Q000378:metabolism*; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D011492:Protein Hydrolysates; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D008628:Mercury
keywords: Antioxidant activity; Egg white hydrolysate; Memory impairments; Mercury; Oxidative stress