Chelidonic acid abrogates oxidative stress and memory dysfunction in experimental aging rats

Abstract

Background/aim: In an aging model established using male Wistar albino rats via the administration of D-galactose (D-gal), the aim of this study was to examine the effects of chelidonic acid (CA) on cognitive function and the levels of glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), total antioxidant status (TAS), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF).

Materials and methods: Thirty-two, three-month-old Wistar albino male rats (n = 8) were divided into four groups, as the control (C) group, CA group (2 mg/kg of CA via oral gavage), D-gal group (150 mg/kg of D-gal, subcutaneously), and D-gal + CA group (150 mg/kg of D-gal and 2 mg/kg of CA). Following overnight fasting, the 10-week trial was concluded with intramuscular injections of anesthetic drugs xylazine (8-10 mg/kg) and ketamine (80-100 mg/kg), and subsequently, the collection of cardiac blood. The brain tissues of the rats were removed. The GSH, MDA, TAS, and BDNF levels were determined in the collected serum samples and prepared tissue homogenates. Novel object recognition and Morris water maze (MWM) experiments were also used to evaluate cognitive function.

Results: The D-gal group demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in the discrimination index for memory in both the short and long term compared to the D-gal + CA group. Further analysis of the MWM data for these two groups indicated a notable decrease in the amount of time required for finding the platform. In comparison with the D-gal group, the MDA levels decreased in the CA and D-gal + CA groups, whereas the GSH, TAS, and BDNF levels increased in both the serum and hippocampus samples.

Conclusion: CA showed positive effects on age-related neurodegenerative disorders and memory-related processes, especially by increasing TAS and BDNF levels.

Keywords: Aging; D-galactose; antioxidant; chelidonic acid; memory.

Figure 1

Experimental chronology.

Figure 2

NOR test experimental setup (Bitmez et al., 2024).

Figure 3

Evaluation of both short-term and long-term memory (* p < 0.05 and ** p < 0.01).

Figure 4

Latency time and entries into the platform zone (* p < 0.05 and ** p < 0.01).

Figure 5

Serum and hippocampus GSH and MDA levels (* p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, and **** p < 0.0001).

Figure 6

Serum and hippocampus TAS levels and hippocampus BDNF levels (* p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001, and **** p < 0.0001).