Zheng Yulong, An SoEun, Kim Ga-Yeon, Park Geum Duck, Yoo Byong Ho, Kim Ki Nam, Lee Tae-Kyeong
Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Hallym University, Chuncheon 24252, Republic of Korea.
Suheung Research Center, Seongnam 13488, Republic of Korea.
Tissue Cell. 2025 Apr;93:102705. doi: 10.1016/j.tice.2024.102705. Epub 2024 Dec 26.
Mild cognitive impairment is a diagnostic category marked by declines in memory and cognitive function that are less severe than those observed in Alzheimer's disease. Previous studies have indicated that individuals with mild cognitive impairment have an elevated risk of progressing to Alzheimer's disease. The hippocampus is well known to play pivotal roles in memory and cognitive functions. Scopolamine (Sco) disrupts cholinergic neurotransmission in the hippocampus and triggers functional declines in memory and cognition. SHCog™ is a commercially available alpha glycerophosphorylcholine (α-GPC) derived from soybean lecithin. The objective of the present study was to examine whether SHCog™ can alleviate memory and cognitive dysfunctions in a mouse model of cognitive impairments induced by Sco. In this study, C57BL/6 J mice were subjected to the passive avoidance and Morris water maze tests to investigate short-term and spatial memory functions, respectively. This study also examined cellular morphology and distribution by cresyl violet staining and investigated changes in acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) as cholinergic enzymes through immunohistochemical staining of the hippocampus. Additionally, we examined changes in postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD-95) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) related to neural plasticity in the hippocampus. Treatment with SHCog™ (125 mg/kg and 250 mg/kg) brought functional recovery in short-term and spatial memory against Sco-induced memory and cognitive impairments. Changes in cellular morphology and distribution in the hippocampus were not detected following the administration of Sco and/or SHCog™. Treatment with SHCog™ reduced AChE elevated by Sco, whereas SHCog™ administration increased ChAT decreased by Sco. Furthermore, SHCog™ restored PSD-95 and BDNF in the mouse hippocampus reduced by Sco. Specifically, SHCog™ modulated cholinergic neurotransmission and enhanced neural plasticity in the hippocampus. Taken together, we suggest that SHCog™ can be a valuable ingredient in functional foods or supplements for improving memory and cognitive functions.
轻度认知障碍是一种诊断类别，其特征为记忆和认知功能下降，但程度不如阿尔茨海默病严重。先前的研究表明，患有轻度认知障碍的个体发展为阿尔茨海默病的风险升高。众所周知，海马体在记忆和认知功能中起关键作用。东莨菪碱（Sco）会破坏海马体中的胆碱能神经传递，并引发记忆和认知功能衰退。SHCog™是一种市售的源自大豆卵磷脂的α-甘油磷酸胆碱（α-GPC）。本研究的目的是检验SHCog™是否能缓解由Sco诱导的认知障碍小鼠模型中的记忆和认知功能障碍。在本研究中，C57BL/6 J小鼠分别接受被动回避和莫里斯水迷宫试验，以研究短期记忆和空间记忆功能。本研究还通过甲酚紫染色检查细胞形态和分布，并通过海马体免疫组织化学染色研究作为胆碱能酶的乙酰胆碱酯酶（AChE）和胆碱乙酰转移酶（ChAT）的变化。此外，我们检查了与海马体神经可塑性相关的突触后密度蛋白95（PSD-95）和脑源性神经营养因子（BDNF）的变化。用SHCog™（125 mg/kg和250 mg/kg）治疗可使短期和空间记忆功能恢复，对抗Sco诱导的记忆和认知障碍。给予Sco和/或SHCog™后，未检测到海马体细胞形态和分布的变化。用SHCog™治疗可降低由Sco升高的AChE，而给予SHCog™可增加由Sco降低的ChAT。此外，SHCog™可恢复由Sco降低的小鼠海马体中的PSD-95和BDNF。具体而言，SHCog™调节胆碱能神经传递并增强海马体中的神经可塑性。综上所述，我们认为SHCog™可以成为功能性食品或补充剂中改善记忆和认知功能的宝贵成分。
