Anthocyanins from blueberry ameliorated arsenic-induced memory impairment, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial-biosynthesis imbalance in rat hippocampal neurons

Cell Signal. 2024 Jul:119:111177. doi: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2024.111177. Epub 2024 Apr 15.

Abstract

In this study, blueberry anthocyanins extract (BAE) was used to investigate its protective effect on arsenic-induced rat hippocampal neurons damage. Arsenic exposure resulted in elevated levels of oxidative stress, decreased antioxidant capacity and increased apoptosis in rat hippocampal brain tissue and mitochondria. Immunohistochemical results showed that arsenic exposure also significantly decreased the expression of mitochondrial biosynthesis-related factors PGC-1α and TFAM. Treatment with BAE alleviated the decrease in antioxidant capacity, mitochondrial biogenesis related protein PGC-1α/NRF2/TFAM expression, and ATP production of arsenic induced hippocampal neurons in rats, and improved cognitive function in arsenic damaged rats. This study provides new insights into the detoxification effect of anthocyanins on the nervous system toxicity caused by metal exposure in the environment, indicating that anthocyanins may be a natural antioxidant against the nervous system toxicity caused by environmental metal exposure.

Keywords: Anthocyanins; Arsenic; Mitochondrial biosynthesis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anthocyanins* / pharmacology
  • Antioxidants / pharmacology
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Arsenic* / toxicity
  • Blueberry Plants* / chemistry
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • Hippocampus* / drug effects
  • Hippocampus* / metabolism
  • Male
  • Memory Disorders* / chemically induced
  • Memory Disorders* / drug therapy
  • Memory Disorders* / metabolism
  • Mitochondria* / drug effects
  • Mitochondria* / metabolism
  • NF-E2-Related Factor 2* / metabolism
  • Neurons* / drug effects
  • Neurons* / metabolism
  • Oxidative Stress* / drug effects
  • Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma Coactivator 1-alpha* / metabolism
  • Plant Extracts / pharmacology
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism

Substances

  • Arsenic
  • Anthocyanins
  • Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma Coactivator 1-alpha
  • NF-E2-Related Factor 2
  • Antioxidants
  • Ppargc1a protein, rat
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Tfam protein, rat
  • Transcription Factors
  • Plant Extracts