Ascorbic Acid Supplementation Improves Adolescent Stress-induced Cognitive Impairment Through Restoration of Behavioral, Biochemical and Electrophysiological Alterations in Male Rats

Sima Gul Ghasemi; Alireza Khoshrou; Samaneh Kakhki; Atefeh Shirinzadeh Feizabadi; Maha Masoudi; Faezeh Bagherifar; Farimah Beheshti

doi:10.1016/j.neuroscience.2024.04.012

Ascorbic Acid Supplementation Improves Adolescent Stress-induced Cognitive Impairment Through Restoration of Behavioral, Biochemical and Electrophysiological Alterations in Male Rats

Neuroscience. 2024 May 7:549:55-64. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2024.04.012. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Sima Gul Ghasemi¹, Alireza Khoshrou², Samaneh Kakhki³, Atefeh Shirinzadeh Feizabadi⁴, Maha Masoudi⁵, Faezeh Bagherifar⁵, Farimah Beheshti⁶

Affiliations

¹ Pharmacological Research Center of Medicinal Plant, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
² Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
³ Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran.
⁴ Department of Medical Anesthesiology, School of Paramedical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran.
⁵ Vice Chancellery of Education and Research, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran.
⁶ Neuroscience Research Center, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran; Departments of Physiology, School of Medicine, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran. Electronic address: beheshtif1@thums.ac.ir.

PMID: 38718917
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2024.04.012

Abstract

The present research study aimed to investigate the role of Ascorbic acid (AA) on synaptic plasticity, learning, and memory impairment induced by unpredicted chronic mild stress (CUMS) in adolescent male rats. Adolescent male rats were divided into: 1) vehicle, 2) CUMS, 3-5) CUMS plus various doses of AA by oral gavage (CUMS-10/100/400 mg/kg), and 6) AA400 mg/kg by oral gavage. In Morris Water Maze, the time latency decreased, while the time spent in the target quadrant increased in CUMS group treated with AA at the dose of 400 mg/kg. In passive avoidance, the latency of entering into the dark chamber decreased in CUMS group treated with AA (400 mg/kg). In biochemical test results, nitrite and MDA significantly decreased, while thiol content, SOD, and catalase activity in CUMS group that received AA400mg/kg was increased. IL-10, BDNF and Ki67 increased, while TNF-a and AChE activity were decreased in CUMS group treated with AA simultaneously. The results of our study showed that chronic stress during adolescence could cause learning and memory disorders as well as synaptic plasticity. In addition, we showed that AA can prevent this problem by reducing oxidative stress, inflammation, increasing the amount of BDNF, and neurogenesis.

Keywords: Adolescent; Ascorbic acid; Chronic mild stress; Ki67; Memory impairment.