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Probiotic supplementation attenuates hippocampus injury and spatial learning and memory impairments in a cerebral hypoperfusion mouse model

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Abstract

Probiotics are referred to species of living microscopic organisms may help conserve the normal balance of the digestive system and/or manage diseases. A number of autoimmune, psychiatric, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disorders may be associated with the imbalance of gut microbiota. This study examines the effect of 21 days consumption of multistrain probiotics on hippocampus injury, spatial and learning memory and some potential molecular mechanisms in a mouse model with cerebral hypoperfusion. Cerebral hypoperfusion was established in the mouse model by bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCCAO) for 20 min and 24 h reperfusion. Mixtures of several probiotic bacteria at concentrations of 107, 108 and 109 CFU/day were orally administrated for 3 weeks before the BCCAO. Spatial and learning memory, histological damage and apoptosis were assessed in the CA1, CA3 and dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus 24 h after ischemia. The malondialdehyde (MDA) content and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) level were measured by ELISA technique. Prophylactic of probiotic considerably reduced the number of apoptotic cells and neuronal death in the CA1, CA3 and DG of the hippocampus at all three concentrations (P < 0.001). In addition, probiotics reduced spatial memory impairment and neurological dysfunction only at the 109-CFU/day (P < 0.01). Nonetheless, probiotics did not change the levels of BDNF and MDA in the hippocampus (P > 0.05). According to the findings, the daily prophylactic ingestion of probiotics reduced hippocampus damage and prevented the spatial learning and memory deficit by suppressing apoptosis in the mouse model with cerebral hypoperfusion. Probiotic supplementation may be suggested as a useful preventive dietary strategy for groups susceptible to cerebrovascular diseases.

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Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported by Vice Chancellor for Research of Semnan University of Medical Sciences (Grant Number: 1306).We are grateful to the ZIST TAKHMIR Company for providing the LactoCare capsule. We thanks from Prof. Ali Rashidy-pour and Prof. Parviz Kokhaei for valuable comments and correction of manuscript. This article is extracted from the MS.c student thesis of Rahmati Hamideh.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Center of Physiology, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran

    Hamideh Rahmati, Shahein Momenabadi, Abbas Ali Vafaei & Abedin Vakili

  2. Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran

    Abbas Ali Vafaei & Abedin Vakili

  3. Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran

    Ahmad Reza Bandegi

  4. Basic Medical Science Research, Histogenotech Company, Tehran, Iran

    Zohreh Mazaheri

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  1. Hamideh Rahmati
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Correspondence to Abedin Vakili.

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Rahmati, H., Momenabadi, S., Vafaei, A.A. et al. Probiotic supplementation attenuates hippocampus injury and spatial learning and memory impairments in a cerebral hypoperfusion mouse model. Mol Biol Rep 46, 4985–4995 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-019-04949-7

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