Department of Bioactive Materials Sciences and Research Center of Bioactive Materials, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do, Korea.
PLoS One. 2023 Sep 11;18(9):e0291191. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0291191. eCollection 2023.
The demand for environmentally friendly foods with high nutritional value and low carbon emissions is increasing with the aging of the global population and the crisis of food resources. Edible insects are becoming increasingly well-known as such foods. This study evaluated the effects and mechanisms of Gryllus bimaculatus (Cricket) (Gb) and Oxya chinensis sinuosa (Grasshopper) (Ocs) extracts on epilepsy. A pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-induced seizure mouse model was used for the study, and Gb and Ocs extracts were administered for 29 days on alternate days at concentrations of 8 g/kg and 16 g/kg. The integrity of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and brain edema was measured using the perfusion of Evans blue dye and brain water content. Gb and Ocs extracts prevented BBB permeabilization and cerebral edema through increasing the expression of tight junction-associated proteins in the endothelial cells and reducing water content in PTZ-treated mice. Additionally, Gb and Ocs extracts protected neurons from oxidative stress and apoptosis in different brain areas. These protective effects were demonstrated through the restoration of the expression of neuronal nuclear protein and postsynaptic density protein-95, thus increasing the levels of glutathione and superoxide dismutase, decreasing lipid peroxidation, and recovering apoptosis-associated proteins, such as Bax, cleaved PARP, and cleaved caspase-3, in epileptic mice. In addition, Gb and Ocs extracts rescued PTZ-induced hyperexcitable neurons to control mice level, as supported by the restored expression of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) transporter 1, the metabotropic glutamate receptors-GRM2/3, and BDNF. This study suggested that Gb and Ocs extracts are novel medicinal candidates that can help ameliorate epilepsy by improving BBB health and preventing oxidative stress-mediated apoptosis.
随着全球人口老龄化和粮食资源危机的加剧，人们对具有高营养价值和低碳排放的环保食品的需求不断增加。食用昆虫作为这样的食品越来越受到人们的关注。本研究评估了蟋蟀（Gryllus bimaculatus）（Gb）和中华稻蝗（Oxya chinensis sinuosa）（Ocs）提取物对癫痫的作用和机制。使用戊四氮（PTZ）诱导的癫痫小鼠模型进行研究，Gb 和 Ocs 提取物在 29 天内隔天以 8 g/kg 和 16 g/kg 的浓度给药。通过灌注 Evans 蓝染料和测量脑水含量来测量血脑屏障（BBB）和脑水肿的完整性。Gb 和 Ocs 提取物通过增加内皮细胞中紧密连接相关蛋白的表达和减少 PTZ 处理小鼠的脑含水量来防止 BBB 通透性和脑水肿。此外，Gb 和 Ocs 提取物通过在不同脑区保护神经元免受氧化应激和细胞凋亡来发挥作用。这些保护作用是通过恢复神经元核蛋白和突触后密度蛋白-95 的表达来实现的，从而增加谷胱甘肽和超氧化物歧化酶的水平，减少脂质过氧化，并恢复凋亡相关蛋白，如 Bax、裂解 PARP 和裂解 caspase-3，在癫痫小鼠中。此外，Gb 和 Ocs 提取物将 PTZ 诱导的过度兴奋神经元恢复到对照小鼠的水平，这得到了 GABA 转运蛋白 1、代谢型谷氨酸受体-GRM2/3 和脑源性神经营养因子表达恢复的支持。这项研究表明，Gb 和 Ocs 提取物是新的药物候选物，可以通过改善 BBB 健康和预防氧化应激介导的细胞凋亡来帮助改善癫痫。
