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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Boston, Massachusetts » Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #171934
Title: FRUIT POLYPHENOLS PREVENT INFLAMMATORY MEDIATED DECREMENTS IN COGNITION

Author
item Shukitt-Hale, Barbara
item Carey, Amanda
item BELINSKI, DONNA - TUFTS
item Lau, Francis
item GALLI, RACHEL - SIMMONS COLLEGE
item SPANGLER, EDWARD - LABORATORY OF GERONTOLOGY
item INGRAM, DONALD - LABORATORY OF GERONTOLOGY
item Joseph, James

Submitted to: Society for Neuroscience Abstracts and Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/1/2004
Publication Date: 10/23/2004
Citation: Shukitt Hale, B., Carey, A.N., Belinski, D., Lau, F.C., Galli, R.L., Spangler, E.L., Ingram, D.K., Joseph, J.A. 2004. Fruit polyphenols prevent inflammatory mediated decrements in cognition. Soc. Neurosci. Abs. 2004, 30,565.5.

Interpretive Summary: not needed

Technical Abstract: Cognitive impairment in age-related neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's Disease may be due in part to long-term exposure and increased susceptibility to inflammatory insults. This study investigated whether the polyphenols in blueberries (BBs) can reduce the deleterious effects of inflammation, perhaps by increasing anti-inflammatory protection in the brain and/or reducing brain susceptibility to inflammatory insults. Therefore, 4 month old male F344 rats were fed a control, 2% BB, or 0.015% piroxicam (PX, an NSAID) diet for 8 weeks before Ringers (R) or kainic acid (KA, 300ng in 0.5ul R) was injected bilaterally into the hippocampus. Ten days later, rats were tested for 4 days in the Morris water maze before measuring brain inflammatory markers. KA produced an inflammatory response as shown by increased OX-6 activation in the hippocampus, and had deleterious effects on cognitive behavior. Specifically, rats on the control diet given KA had increased latencies to find the hidden platform in the MWM on days 1-3, and on day 4 during reversal learning, compared to the R group. These deficits were improved by the BB diet; latencies to find the platform on days 2-4 in the BB-KA group were not different than the control diet-R group. Also, the KA group utilized non-spatial strategies during the probe trials on days 2-4: i.e., longer latencies to, fewer crossings of and less time spent in the previous platform location. The BB diet, and to a lesser degree the PX diet, was able to improve performance on probe trial measures. Interestingly, both the BB and PX diet were able to improve performance in the rats administered R on some measures. These results indicate that BB polyphenols have anti-inflammatory actions, comparable to or greater than PX. (Supported by USDA Intramural & Alzheimer Assoc)