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Title: Serum metabolites from blueberry-supplemented older adults attenuate stress-induced neurotoxicity in HAPI microglial cells dependent on baseline cognitive status

Author
item Shukitt-Hale, Barbara
item MILLER, MARSHALL - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University
item Fisher, Derek

Submitted to: Society for Neuroscience Abstracts and Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/25/2014
Publication Date: 11/15/2014
Citation: Shukitt Hale, B., Miller, M.G., Fisher, D.R. 2014. Serum metabolites from blueberry-supplemented older adults attenuate stress-induced neurotoxicity in HAPI microglial cells dependent on baseline cognitive status. Society for Neuroscience Abstracts and Proceedings. 2014. Program #144.16.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Age-related decrements in cognition are thought to result from the increased susceptibility to and accumulating effects of oxidative stress and inflammation. Berry fruits, particularly blueberries, contain a variety of bioactive phytochemicals that exhibit potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities and have been shown to mitigate cognitive decline in rodent models of aging. In this study, we investigated whether serum from blueberry-supplemented older adults would enhance protection on stressed HAPI rat microglial, in vitro. Additionally, we examined whether serum from good cognitive performers was more protective at baseline than that of poor performers, as chronic neuroinflammation is believed to be an underlying factor for cognitive decline. Therefore, serum was collected from aged humans (60-75 years) whose diet was supplemented with either freeze-dried blueberry or placebo powder. Serum collection at baseline and at intervention days 45 and 90 coincided with cognitive testing. The collected serum was substituted for fetal bovine serum (FBS) and used to pretreat HAPI rat microglial cells, in vitro, before inducing inflammation using lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Results showed that serum from blueberry-supplemented older adults significantly attenuated LPS-induced nitrite release in the microglial cells. Neither serum from placebo-supplemented older adults nor FBS alone (negative control) elicited rescuing effects. Similar reductions in the pro-inflammatory markers TNF-alpha, COX-2 and iNOS were also observed. Furthermore, serum from good cognitive performers was more protective at baseline than that of poor performers in a computer-based-task-switching test. While identification of the individual metabolites and measurement of oxidant/antioxidant enzymes in these sera are currently being performed, preliminary results strongly suggest antioxidant and anti-inflammatory protection or enhancement of membrane-associated functions in brain cells by blueberry polyphenolic metabolites that are present in the serum.