Solid Lipid Curcumin Particles Protect Medium Spiny Neuronal Morphology, and Reduce Learning and Memory Deficits in the YAC128 Mouse Model of Huntington’s Disease

Huntington’s disease (HD) is a genetic neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor, cognitive, and psychiatric symptoms, accompanied by massive neuronal degeneration in the striatum. In this study, we utilized solid lipid curcumin particles (SLCPs) and solid lipid particles (SLPs) to test their efficacy in reducing deficits in YAC128 HD mice. Eleven-month-old YAC128 male and female mice were treated orally with SLCPs (100 mg/kg) or equivalent volumes of SLPs or vehicle (phosphate-buffered saline) every other day for eight weeks. Learning and memory performance was assessed using an active-avoidance task on week eight. The mice were euthanized, and their brains were processed using Golgi-Cox staining to study the morphology of medium spiny neurons (MSNs) and Western blots to quantify amounts of DARPP-32, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), TrkB, synaptophysin, and PSD-95. We found that both SLCPs and SLPs improved learning and memory in HD mice, as measured by the active avoidance task. We also found that SLCP and SLP treatments preserved MSNs arborization and spinal density and modulated synaptic proteins. Our study shows that SLCPs, as well as the lipid particles, can have therapeutic effects in old YAC128 HD mice in terms of recovering from HD brain pathology and cognitive deficits.

Effect of Aronia Melanocarpa Fruit Juice on Fearning and Memory in the Two-Way Active Avoidance Task in Rats

Summary Amnia melanocarpa fruits are one of the richest natural sources of phenolic substances, among them flavonoids, mainly from the subclass of anthocyanins. Flavonoids, which are constituents of Amnia melanocarpa fruit juice, have been found to localize in various brain regions that are important for memory. The aim of the present study was to investigate the learning and memory effects of Amnia melanocarpa fruit juice (AMFJ) in young/healthy male Wistarrats. AMFJ was applied orally for 21 and 30 days at a dose of 10 ml/kg b.w., and comparisons were made with saline-treated (10 ml/kg b.w.) controls. Learning and memory functions were evaluated, using the two-way active avoidance task (shuttle box). Administered for the two treatment periods, the juice significantly increased the number of avoidances on training days 1 and 2, as well as at the retention test (24 h after the 2nd training session). These effects were more pronounced in rats treated with AMFJ for 30 days. The learning and memory effects of AMFJ are probably due to its polyphenolic constituents. The findings from the present study suggest that AMFJ applied subchronically improved learning and memory in young/healthy rats.