title: The effect of abscisic acid chronic treatment on neuroinflammatory markers and memory in a rat model of high-fat diet induced neuroinflammation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Western diet and lifestyle are associated with overweight, obesity, and type 2 diabetes, which, in turn, are correlated with neuroinflammation processes. Exercise and a healthy diet are important in the prevention of these disorders. However, molecules inhibiting neuroinflammation might also be efficacious in the prevention and/or treatment of neurological disorders of inflammatory etiology. The abscisic acid (ABA) is a phytohormone involved in hydric-stress responses. This compound is not only found in plants but also in other organisms, including mammals. In rodents, ABA can play a beneficial role in the regulation of peripheral immune response and insulin action. Thus, we hypothesized that chronic ABA administration might exert a protective effect in a model of neuroinflammation induced by high-fat diet (HFD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Male Wistar rats were fed with standard diet or HFD with or without ABA in the drinking water for 12 weeks. Glucose tolerance test and behavioral paradigms were performed to evaluate the peripheral and central effects of treatments. One-Way ANOVA was performed analyzed statistical differences between groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The HFD induced insulin resistance peripherally and increased the levels of proinflammatory markers in in the brain. We observed that ABA restored glucose tolerance in HFD-fed rats, as expected. In addition, chronic ABA treatment rescued cognitive performance in these animals, while not affecting control diet fed animals. Moreover, it counteracted the changes induced by HFD in the hypothalamus; microglia activations and TNFα mRNA levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that ABA might become a new therapeutic molecule improving the neuroinflammatory status and insulin resistance.
authors: Department of Medicine, University of Jaume I, Vicente Sos Banyat s/n, 12071 Castellón de la Plana, Castellón Spain.
authors: Sandra
authors: S
authors: Sánchez-Sarasúa
authors: Department of Medicine, University of Jaume I, Vicente Sos Banyat s/n, 12071 Castellón de la Plana, Castellón Spain.
authors: Salma
authors: S
authors: Moustafa
authors: Department of Medicine, University of Jaume I, Vicente Sos Banyat s/n, 12071 Castellón de la Plana, Castellón Spain.
authors: Álvaro
authors: Á
authors: García-Avilés
authors: Department of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, University of Jaume I, Vicente Sos Banyat s/n, 12071 Castellón de la Plana, Castellón Spain.
authors: María Fernanda
authors: MF
authors: López-Climent
authors: Department of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, University of Jaume I, Vicente Sos Banyat s/n, 12071 Castellón de la Plana, Castellón Spain.
authors: Aurelio
authors: A
authors: Gómez-Cadenas
authors: Department of Medicine, University of Jaume I, Vicente Sos Banyat s/n, 12071 Castellón de la Plana, Castellón Spain.
authors: Francisco E
authors: FE
authors: Olucha-Bordonau
authors: Department of Medicine, University of Jaume I, Vicente Sos Banyat s/n, 12071 Castellón de la Plana, Castellón Spain.
authors: Ana M
authors: AM
authors: Sánchez-Pérez
keywords: Microglia; Obesity; Phytohormones; Working memory