Taurine promotes cognitive function in prenatally stressed juvenile rats via activating the Akt-CREB-PGC1α pathway

Substantial evidence has shown that the oxidative damage to hippocampal neurons is associated with the cognitive impairment induced by adverse stimuli during gestation named prenatal stress (PS). Taurine, a conditionally essential amino acid, possesses multiple roles in the brain as a neuromodulator...

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Main Authors: Ning Jia, Qinru Sun, Qian Su, Shaokang Dang, Guomin Chen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2016-12-01
Series:Redox Biology
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213231716301197
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author Ning Jia
Qinru Sun
Qian Su
Shaokang Dang
Guomin Chen
author_facet Ning Jia
Qinru Sun
Qian Su
Shaokang Dang
Guomin Chen
author_sort Ning Jia
collection DOAJ
description Substantial evidence has shown that the oxidative damage to hippocampal neurons is associated with the cognitive impairment induced by adverse stimuli during gestation named prenatal stress (PS). Taurine, a conditionally essential amino acid, possesses multiple roles in the brain as a neuromodulator or antioxidant. In this study, to explore the roles of taurine in PS-induced learning and memory impairment, prenatal restraint stress was set up and Morris water maze (MWM) was employed for testing the cognitive function in the one-month-old rat offspring. The mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) level,mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), ATP and cytochrome c oxidase (CcO) activity and apoptosis-related proteins in the hippocampus were detected. The activity of the Akt-cyclic AMP response element-binding protein (CREB)-peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor–γ coactivator-1α (PGC1α) pathway in the hippocampus was measured. The results showed that high dosage of taurine administration in the early postnatal period attenuated impairment of spatial learning and memory induced by PS. Meanwhile, taurine administration diminished the increase in mitochondrial ROS, and recovered the reduction of MMP, ATP level and the activities of CcO, superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) and catalase induced by PS in the hippocampus. In addition, taurine administration recovered PS-suppressed SOD2 expression level. Taurine administration blocked PS-induced decrease in the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax and increase in the ratio of cleaved caspase-3/full-length caspase-3. Notably, taurine inhibited PS-decreased phosphorylation of Akt (pAkt) and phosphorylation of CREB (pCREB), which consequently enhanced the mRNA and protein levels of PGC1α. Taken together, these results suggest that high dosage of taurine administration during the early postnatal period can significantly improve the cognitive function in prenatally stressed juvenile rats via activating the Akt-CREB-PGC1α pathway. Therefore, taurine has therapeutic potential for prenatal stressed offspring rats in future.
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spelling doaj.art-a15aa09aa52a47278f00d62968d9f4cf2022-12-22T00:57:49ZengElsevierRedox Biology2213-23172016-12-0110C17919010.1016/j.redox.2016.10.004Taurine promotes cognitive function in prenatally stressed juvenile rats via activating the Akt-CREB-PGC1α pathwayNing Jia0Qinru Sun1Qian Su2Shaokang Dang3Guomin Chen4Department of Human Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Health Science Center, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710061, PR ChinaInstitute of Forensic Medicine, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Health Science Center, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710061, PR ChinaDivision of Neonatology, First Affiliated Hospital, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Health Science Center, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710061, PR ChinaDivision of Neonatology, First Affiliated Hospital, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Health Science Center, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710061, PR ChinaDepartment of Human Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Health Science Center, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710061, PR ChinaSubstantial evidence has shown that the oxidative damage to hippocampal neurons is associated with the cognitive impairment induced by adverse stimuli during gestation named prenatal stress (PS). Taurine, a conditionally essential amino acid, possesses multiple roles in the brain as a neuromodulator or antioxidant. In this study, to explore the roles of taurine in PS-induced learning and memory impairment, prenatal restraint stress was set up and Morris water maze (MWM) was employed for testing the cognitive function in the one-month-old rat offspring. The mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) level,mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), ATP and cytochrome c oxidase (CcO) activity and apoptosis-related proteins in the hippocampus were detected. The activity of the Akt-cyclic AMP response element-binding protein (CREB)-peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor–γ coactivator-1α (PGC1α) pathway in the hippocampus was measured. The results showed that high dosage of taurine administration in the early postnatal period attenuated impairment of spatial learning and memory induced by PS. Meanwhile, taurine administration diminished the increase in mitochondrial ROS, and recovered the reduction of MMP, ATP level and the activities of CcO, superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) and catalase induced by PS in the hippocampus. In addition, taurine administration recovered PS-suppressed SOD2 expression level. Taurine administration blocked PS-induced decrease in the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax and increase in the ratio of cleaved caspase-3/full-length caspase-3. Notably, taurine inhibited PS-decreased phosphorylation of Akt (pAkt) and phosphorylation of CREB (pCREB), which consequently enhanced the mRNA and protein levels of PGC1α. Taken together, these results suggest that high dosage of taurine administration during the early postnatal period can significantly improve the cognitive function in prenatally stressed juvenile rats via activating the Akt-CREB-PGC1α pathway. Therefore, taurine has therapeutic potential for prenatal stressed offspring rats in future.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213231716301197Prenatal stressHippocampusMitochondriaTaurineAkt-CREB-PGC1α pathway
spellingShingle Ning Jia
Qinru Sun
Qian Su
Shaokang Dang
Guomin Chen
Taurine promotes cognitive function in prenatally stressed juvenile rats via activating the Akt-CREB-PGC1α pathway
Redox Biology
Prenatal stress
Hippocampus
Mitochondria
Taurine
Akt-CREB-PGC1α pathway
title Taurine promotes cognitive function in prenatally stressed juvenile rats via activating the Akt-CREB-PGC1α pathway
title_full Taurine promotes cognitive function in prenatally stressed juvenile rats via activating the Akt-CREB-PGC1α pathway
title_fullStr Taurine promotes cognitive function in prenatally stressed juvenile rats via activating the Akt-CREB-PGC1α pathway
title_full_unstemmed Taurine promotes cognitive function in prenatally stressed juvenile rats via activating the Akt-CREB-PGC1α pathway
title_short Taurine promotes cognitive function in prenatally stressed juvenile rats via activating the Akt-CREB-PGC1α pathway
title_sort taurine promotes cognitive function in prenatally stressed juvenile rats via activating the akt creb pgc1α pathway
topic Prenatal stress
Hippocampus
Mitochondria
Taurine
Akt-CREB-PGC1α pathway
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213231716301197
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