Spirulina diet to lactating mothers protects the antioxidant system and reduces inflammation in post-natal brain after systemic inflammation
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OBJECTIVES: This study concerns: (1) the long-term effects of peripheral lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in neonatal rats on inflammation and antioxidant parameters in brain and (2) the effects of a Spirulina-enriched diet given to lactating mothers on protective and inflammatory parameters in brains of suckling pups subjected to peripheral inflammation. METHODS: Five-day old rat pups were treated with LPS (i.p. 2 mg/kg). After 3, 7, 30, and 65 days, mRNA, miRNA, and protein levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and the Nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)-system were examined. In a sub-group, a Spirulina-enriched diet was given to the mothers 24 hours before the pups were treated with LPS, then the effects on antioxidant and inflammatory parameters were evaluated. RESULTS: The main findings were: (1) interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β) was upregulated in cortex 3, 7, and 30 days after LPS treatment, (2) Nrf2 and the catalytic subunit of γ-glutamylcysteinyl ligase were decreased in cortex 7 days after LPS in parallel with increased levels of phosphorylated p38 and decreased levels of histone H3 acetylation, and (3) a Spirulina-enriched diet to lactating mothers normalized both the increased IL-1β expression and the decreased antioxidant parameters after LPS. The protective effects of Spirulina were correlated with decreased levels of phosphorylated p38 and high levels of the antioxidant miRNA-146a. DISCUSSION: A Spirulina diet given to lactating mothers can protect against neuroinflammation and decreased antioxidant defence in brain of suckling pups subjected to peripheral inflammation, possibly via decreased activation of p38 and high levels of the antioxidant miRNA-146a.
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Spirulina has neuroprotective effects on the development of the neural system and in senility and neurological/neurodegenerative diseases.
“In the last few years, a large number of studies have demonstrated that Spirulina not only has beneficial effects on the development of the neural system but also neuroprotective effects through attenuating oxidative stress and antioxidant properties [40,41,42,43].”
From Beneficial Effects of Spirulina Consumption on Brain Health (2022) · cites this paper as [40]
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- Authors
- Patil, J., Matte, A., Mallard, C., & Sandberg, M.
- Affiliations
- University of Gothenburg (SE)
- Corresponding author
- Patil, Jaspal
- Venue
- Nutritional Neuroscience
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2016-08-29
- Volume
- 21
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 59-69
- ISSN
- 1028-415X (ISSN-L)
- 1476-8305
- PMC
- PMC5996969
- OpenAlex
- W2508108907
- Cited by
- 22
- References
- 46
- Citations by year
- 2025: 4 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 3 · 2016: 1
- FWCI
- 1.21
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- europepmc.org
- Locations
- Nutritional Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- Vetenskapsrådet (VR2009-2630, 2012-2992)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Genomics, phytochemicals, and oxidative stress
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Neonatal and fetal brain pathology
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Biological Psychiatry › Tryptophan and brain disorders
- Keywords
- Spirulina, lactating women, maternal diet, lipopolysaccharide, systemic inflammation, neuroinflammation, postnatal brain, antioxidant defense, Nrf2, gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase, p38 MAPK, IL-1β, miRNA-146a, suckling pups, neonatal rats, maternal nutrition
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena, Animals, Newborn, Antioxidants, Brain, Diet, Female, Histones, Inflammation, Lactation, Lipopolysaccharides, Male, Up-Regulation, Rats, Sprague-Dawley, Protective Agents, MicroRNAs, Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena, p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases, NF-E2-Related Factor 2, Rats, Spirulina, Interleukin-1beta
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