Ameliorating Effect of the Edible Mushroom Hericium erinaceus on Depressive-Like Behavior in Ovariectomized Rats.

Estrogen deficiency during menopause causes a variety of neurological symptoms, including depression. The edible Lion's Mane mushroom, Hericium erinaceus (Bull.: Fr.) Pers. (HE), is a medicinal mushroom that has the potential for a neuroprotective effect and ameliorating neurological diseases, such as depression, anxiety, and neurodegenerative diseases. HE contains phytoestrogens, including daidzein and genistein. However, the ameliorating effect of HE on menopausal symptoms is not well understood. Here we investigated the impact of methanol extract of the HE fruiting body on depressive-like behavior in postmenopausal model rats. The activation of estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) causes body weight loss and uterine weight gain. Body weight gain and uterine weight loss by estrogen deficiency in ovariectomized (OVX) rats were reversed with 17ß-estradiol (E2) but not with HE. Thus, the phytoestrogens in HE may hardly activate ERα. Estrogen receptor beta (ERß) is expressed in the brain, and activation of ERß ameliorates menopausal depressive symptoms. Notably, depressive-like behavior in OVX rats evaluated in forced swim test was reduced by administration of not only E2 but also HE for 92 d. Long-term activation of ERα increases the risk of breast and uterine cancers. HE, therefore, may be effective in treating menopausal depression without the risk of carcinogenesis caused by ERα activation.

Mitigation of Memory Impairment in Ovariectomized Rats Using Garlic Powder Treated with Subcritical Water.

Women with estrogen deficiency are at the risk of suffering from neurological symptoms such as memory impairment. In the present study, we investigated the effect of garlic, Allium sativum L. (Asparagales: Amaryllidaceae), treated with subcritical water on memory impairment in ovariectomized (OVX) rats. OVX rats were administered garlic powder for 84 d. Hippocampus-dependent spatial memory was assessed using the Morris water maze test. Escape latency of the OVX rats increased compared with that of sham-operated rats. The prolonged escape latency of the OVX rats decreased to the level of that of sham-operated rats upon the administration of garlic powder (0.5% in feed). The weights of the body, uterus, and brain were not affected by the garlic powder administration. These results suggest that garlic powder treated with subcritical water mitigates memory impairment in OVX rats.

Berberine improved experimental chronic colitis by regulating interferon-γ- and IL-17A-producing lamina propria CD4+ T cells through AMPK activation.

The herbal medicine berberine (BBR) has been recently shown to be an AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) productive activator with various properties that induce anti-inflammatory responses. We investigated the effects of BBR on the mechanisms of mucosal CD4+T cell activation in vitro and on the inflammatory responses in T cell transfer mouse models of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We examined the favorable effects of BBR in vitro, using lamina propria (LP) CD4+ T cells in T cell transfer IBD models in which SCID mice had been injected with CD4+CD45RBhigh T cells. BBR suppressed the frequency of IFN-γ- and Il-17A-producing LP CD4+ T cells. This effect was found to be regulated by AMPK activation possibly induced by oxidative phosphorylation inhibition. We then examined the effects of BBR on the same IBD models in vivo. BBR-fed mice showed AMPK activation in the LPCD4+ T cells and an improvement of colitis. Our study newly showed that the BBR-induced AMPK activation of mucosal CD4+ T cells resulted in an improvement of IBD and underscored the importance of AMPK activity in colonic inflammation.

Effect of anthocyanin-rich bilberry extract on bone metabolism in ovariectomized rats.

Menopause is associated with increased oxidative stress, which serves a role, in part, in the pathogenesis of postmenopausal bone loss. Fruits and vegetables are rich in antioxidative nutrients and phytochemicals. Berries are a natural source of anthocyanins, and their intake may improve bone health. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of an anthocyanin-rich bilberry extract (VME) on bone metabolism in an ovariectomized (Ovx) rat. Female Sprague-Dawley rats (12 weeks old) were randomly divided into the following four groups: Baseline, Sham, Ovx and Ovx+VME (n=8-12 rats per group). Rats in the Baseline group were sacrificed immediately, while those in the other groups were subjected to either sham operation (Sham) or bilateral Ovx (Ovx and Ovx+VME). Rats in the Ovx+VME group were administered VME daily at a dose of 500 mg/kg body weight. At 8 weeks after surgery, bone mass and bone histomorphometry were evaluated. The femur bone mineral density (BMD) in the Ovx group was significantly lower than that in the Sham group (P<0.01). Supplementation of VME in the Ovx rats did not result in an increase in BMD. Histomorphometric analyses revealed that Ovx resulted in decreased measures of bone volume and trabecular number and increased measures of osteoid volume, mineralizing surface and bone formation rates (all P<0.01), whereas VME had no significant effects on these parameters. The present findings indicate that VME did not alter bone metabolism in Ovx rats, suggesting that consumption of VME may not be helpful in preventing postmenopausal bone loss.

Long-term supplementation with young coconut juice does not prevent bone loss but rather alleviates body weight gain in ovariectomized rats.

Young coconut (Cocos nucifera Linn.) juice (YCJ) has traditionally been consumed to alleviate symptoms associated with the menopause. Recently, the authors demonstrated that short-term (6-week) YCJ supplementation to ovariectomized rats resulted in increased bone mass and bone formation parameter, suggesting that YCJ consumption has a positive effect on bone metabolism and may represent an intervention to help slow the bone loss during menopause transition. The present study sought to determine how long-term (12-week) YCJ supplementation affects bone metabolism in ovariectomized rats, to investigate whether such supplementation may be helpful to in osteoporosis treatment. Ten-week-old female Wistar rats were subjected to either a sham operation (Sham) or bilateral ovariectomy (Ovx). The Ovx+YCJ group received 5X-concentrated YCJ at a dose of 15 ml/kg/day for 12 weeks. Rats in the Ovx group had significantly lower femur bone mineral density than those in the Sham group. YCJ supplementation did not significantly affect this difference. However, YCJ prevented the increase in bone area of the mid third of the femur, a site high in cortical bone, and body weight gain observed following Ovx. Our findings indicate that long-term YCJ intake does not alter bone loss, but rather alleviates body weight gain following menopause.

Young Coconut Juice Supplementation Results in Greater Bone Mass and Bone Formation Indices in Ovariectomized Rats: A Preliminary Study.

Young coconut juice (Cocos nucifera Linn.) (YCJ) has traditionally been consumed to alleviate symptoms associated with menopause by women in Southeast Asia. The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of YCJ on bone metabolism in ovariectomized rats. Female 10-week-old Wistar rats were randomly assigned to the following 4 groups: Baseline, Sham, Ovx, and Ovx + YCJ (n = 10 rats per group). Rats in the Baseline group were sacrificed immediately, and those in the other groups were subjected to either sham operation (Sham) or bilateral ovariectomy (Ovx and Ovx + YCJ). The Ovx + YCJ rats were administered 5×-concentrated YCJ at a dose of 10 mL/kg body weight per day. Six weeks after surgery, the rats were sacrificed, and indices of bone mass and bone histomorphometry were measured. The bone mineral density of the left femur was significantly higher in the Ovx + YCJ group compared with the Ovx group. In addition, the Ovx + YCJ group showed significantly higher measurements for bone formation rate compared with the Ovx group. These findings suggest that YCJ supplementation has a positive effect on bone metabolism and thus represents a possible intervention to slow the bone loss observed following menopause.

Improvement of depression-like behavior and memory impairment with the ethanol extract of Pleurotus eryngii in ovariectomized rats.

Ethanol extract of Pleurotus eryngii (DC.) QUÉL has estrogen-like activities that protect against bone loss caused by estrogen deficiency. In the present study, we investigated the effect of P. eryngii on depression-like behavior and memory impairment in ovariectomized (OVX) rats. Immobility time during a forced swimming test was significantly longer for OVX rats than for sham-operated rats. The depression-like behavior in OVX rats was improved by long-term administration of the ethanol extract of P. eryngii (500 mg/kg body weight (b.w.)/d). Spatial memory impairment in OVX rats assessed by the Morris water maze test was also improved by P. eryngii extract without any effect on motility. These results suggested that P. eryngii extract has estrogen-like improvement activity against depression-like behavior and memory impairment in OVX rats. Additionally, increase in the amount of synaptosomal zinc after ovariectomy was inhibited by P. eryngii extract. Since zinc in synaptic vesicles is important for memory function and is linked to the pathophysiology of depression, normalization of zinc signaling would be involved in the beneficial effect of P. eryngii extract on neurological disorders after ovariectomy.

Dietary fish oil results in a greater bone mass and bone formation indices in aged ovariectomized rats.

Postmenopausal bone loss and the possible progression to osteoporosis is a major health concern. Until recently, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) was the standard for preventing the development of osteoporosis and possible hip fractures following menopause. However, because of some adverse effects of HRT, new therapies, lifestyle habits, and nutritional interventions are being developed and better characterized in their ability to prevent bone loss after menopause. One such option is to increase the amount of fish oil consumed in the diet. The goal of the current research was to determine the impact of fish oil supplementation on bone mass, density, formation, and resorption in an aged ovariectomized rat model. Twelve-month-old female retired breeder Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a control (Control) or fish oil (Fish) diet. Two weeks following the introduction of the diets, the rats were either sham-operated (Sham) or bilaterally ovariectomized (OVX). Ten weeks after surgery, indices of bone mass and bone histomorphometry were measured. Bone mineral content (BMC) of the whole femur was significantly higher in the Fish/OVX than in the Control/OVX, and the differences were most pronounced in the distal and proximal ends of the femur. However, the Fish/Sham and the Control/Sham did not differ in the measures of BMC. Although the Control/OVX had significantly lower cortical area and greater endosteal perimeter compared with the Control/Sham, the differences were not significant between the Fish/Sham and the Fish/OVX. In addition, the Fish/OVX had a significantly larger percent double-labeled surface and mineral apposition rate at the endocortical surface than the Control/OVX. Our findings suggest that fish oil supplementation has a positive effect on bone metabolism and might be a possible intervention to slow the loss of bone observed following menopause.