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. 2024 Sep;82(3):2853-2864.
doi: 10.1007/s12013-024-01400-y. Epub 2024 Jul 11.

Neuroprotective Effects of Dehydroepiandrosterone and Hericium erinaceus in Scopolamine-induced Alzheimer's Diseases-like Symptoms in Male Rats

Majid Shirvani  1 , Fatemeh Nouri  2 , Abodrahman Sarihi  3   4 , Parisa Habibi  5 , Mojdeh Mohammadi  6
Affiliations

Neuroprotective Effects of Dehydroepiandrosterone and Hericium erinaceus in Scopolamine-induced Alzheimer's Diseases-like Symptoms in Male Rats

Majid Shirvani et al. Cell Biochem Biophys. 2024 Sep.

Abstract

Background: The neuroprotective effects of Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and Hericium erinaceus (H. erinaceus) mushroom extract against scopolamine-induced Alzheimer's disease-like symptoms in male Wistar rats were investigated.

Methods: Sixty-four male Wistar rats were divided into eight groups (n = 8). Scopolamine (SCO) was intraperitoneally injected at a dose of 1 mg/kg/day for 10 days. The treatment groups orally received DHEA (250 mg/kg/day) and/or H. erinaceus (300 mg/kg/day) for 14 days. Afterward, the Morris water maze (MWM) and novel object recognition tests were implemented. Then, animals were anesthetized and the brain tissue samples were separated. Levels of lipid peroxidation (LPO), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), catalase activity (CAT), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were determined. Also, histopathological studies were evaluated in the brain tissue samples.

Results: Administration of SCO significantly decreased spatial and cognitive memory (p < 0.001). Not only did SCO injection significantly increase the levels of the LPO but also the SCO markedly reduced the levels of the TAC, CAT activity, and the BDNF in the brain tissue. On the other hand, a combination of the DHEA and H. erinaceus showed higher efficacy than the DHEA or H. erinaceus in attenuating behavioral anomalies and improving the antioxidant defense system and BDNF levels. Histological examination was well correlated with biochemical findings regarding SCO neurodegeneration and DHEA and/or H. erinaceus neuroprotection.

Conclusion: Interestingly, ADHE and/or H. erinaceus may due to their potential neurotrophic properties be used as a new and beneficial concurrent therapy in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease-like symptoms caused by SCO.

Keywords: Hericium erinaceus; Alzheimer’s Disease; Brain-derived neurotrophic factor; Dehydroepiandrosterone; Oxidative stress; Scopolamine.

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