Chang Yeok Boo, Jung Eun-Jin, Suh Hyung Joo, Choi Hyeon-Son
Department of Integrated Biomedical and Life Science, Graduate School, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea.
Transdisciplinary Major in Learning Health Systems, Graduate School, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea.
Foods. 2023 Dec 10;12(24):4428. doi: 10.3390/foods12244428.
In this study, the potential of whey protein hydrolysate (WPH) and treadmill exercise to prevent cognitive decline was investigated, along with their neuroprotective mechanisms. Cognitive dysfunction was induced in mice with 1 mg/kg of scopolamine, followed by the administration of WPH at 100 and 200 mg/kg and/or treadmill exercise at 15 m/min for 30 min five days per week. Both WPH administration and treadmill exercise significantly improved the memory of mice with scopolamine-induced cognitive impairment, which was attributed to several key mechanisms, including a reduction in oxidative stress based on decreased levels of reactive oxygen species and malondialdehyde in the brain tissue and an increase in acetylcholine by increasing choline acyltransferase and decreasing acetylcholine esterase levels. Exercise and WPH also exerted neuroprotective effects by inhibiting the hyperphosphorylation of tau proteins, enhancing the expression of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and inhibiting apoptosis by reducing the Bax/Bcl2 ratio in conjunction with the downregulation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. Moreover, the impact of WPH and treadmill exercise extended to the gut microbiome, suggesting a potential link with cognitive improvement. These findings suggest that both WPH intake and treadmill exercise are effective strategies for mitigating cognitive impairment, providing promising avenues for treating neurodegenerative diseases.
在本研究中，研究了乳清蛋白水解物（WPH）和跑步机运动预防认知衰退的潜力及其神经保护机制。用1mg/kg东莨菪碱诱导小鼠出现认知功能障碍，随后分别给予100mg/kg和200mg/kg的WPH和/或每周5天以15m/min的速度进行30分钟的跑步机运动。给予WPH和进行跑步机运动均显著改善了东莨菪碱诱导的认知障碍小鼠的记忆力，这归因于几个关键机制，包括基于脑组织中活性氧和丙二醛水平降低的氧化应激减少，以及通过增加胆碱酰基转移酶和降低乙酰胆碱酯酶水平来增加乙酰胆碱。运动和WPH还通过抑制tau蛋白的过度磷酸化、增强脑源性神经营养因子的表达以及通过降低Bax/Bcl2比率并下调丝裂原活化蛋白激酶途径来抑制细胞凋亡，从而发挥神经保护作用。此外，WPH和跑步机运动的影响扩展到肠道微生物群，表明与认知改善存在潜在联系。这些发现表明，摄入WPH和进行跑步机运动都是减轻认知障碍的有效策略，为治疗神经退行性疾病提供了有前景的途径。
