In vivo mitigation of scopolamine-induced cholinergic dysfunction and oxidative stress by selected lactobacillus strains

BULACIOS, G.A.; NAJA, J.; CATALDO, P.G.; URQUIZA MARTÍNEZ, M.P.; ELEAN, M.D.; POSSE DE CHAVES, E.; TARANTO, M.P.; BEAUQUIS, J.; HEBERT, E. M.; SAAVEDRA, L.

Congreso; LIX Annual Meeting of the Argentine Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Research (SAIB).; 2023

Over the past half-century, life expectancy has undergone remarkable growth, ushering in an era of increased susceptibility to age-related disorders, with dementia, notably Alzheimer´s disease (AD), at the forefront, constituting 60-70% of cases. Currently, there is no definitive treatment for this condition, and all drugs and interventions focusing solely on symptom alleviation, primarily through cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine.. In this context, scientists have embarked on a quest to uncover agents or combinations thereof capable of forestalling or enhancing the quality of life for those affected by this condition. Recent research has spotlighted nutritional interventions and the burgeoning field of probiotics, which hold promise for mental health.. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of daily oral administration of two probiotic strains: Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis CRL 581 (1x108), an in vitro acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor, and Levilactobacillus brevis CRL 2013 (1x109), an efficient gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) producing strain. This administration spanned a period of 30 days and aimed to investigate their impact on oxidative stress and cholinergic dysfunction within a scopolamine-induced mice model.Scopolamine, acting as a cholinergic receptor antagonist, induced memory loss, cognitive impairment, and elevated AChE activity, thereby replicating some pathological alterations observed in AD. AChE activity exhibited a significant increase in brain homogenates of mice treated with scopolamine compared to the control group. Both probiotic strains demonstrated the ability to decrease AChE activity, with CRL 581 showing  particularly noteworthy efficacy.. Furthermore, CRL 2013 administration increased catalase activity in mice brains. In females, solely treatments with CRL 581 strain showed a decrease in MDA levels, whereas in males, both strains displayed  the capacity to reduce this product of lipid peroxidation. No significant differences were observed in GSH activity across all groups. Currently, data from the shotgun proteomic of scopolamine- and psychobiotics-treated brain homogenates are being analyzed., These data revealed distinct and unique differential expression patterns in each group..  These findings strongly support the potential development of a functional supplement using psychobiotics, offering a promising non-pharmacological intervention for individuals affected by Alzheimer´s disease.