Red wine consumption mitigates the cognitive impairments in low-density lipoprotein receptor knockout (LDLr-/-) mice.

Abstract

Although the benefits of moderate intake of red wine in decreasing incidence of cardiovascular diseases associated to hypercholesterolemia are well recognized, there are still widespread misconceptions about its effects on the hypercholesterolemia-related cognitive impairments. Herein we investigated the putative benefits of regular red wine consumption on cognitive performance of low-density lipoprotein receptor knockout (LDLr-/-) mice, an animal model of familial hypercholesterolemia, which display cognitive impairments since early ages. The red wine was diluted into the drinking water to a final concentration of 6% ethanol and was available for 60 days for LDLr-/- mice fed a normal or high-cholesterol diet. The results indicated that moderate red wine consumption did not alter locomotor parameters and liver toxicity. Across multiple cognitive tasks evaluating spatial learning/reference memory and recognition/identification memory, hypercholesterolemic mice drinking red wine performed significantly better than water group, regardless of diet. Additionally, immunofluorescence assays indicated a reduction of astrocyte activation and lectin stain in the hippocampus of LDLr-/- mice under consumption of red wine. These findings demonstrate that the moderate consumption of red wine attenuates short- and long-term memory decline associated with hypercholesterolemia in mice and suggest that it could be through a neurovascular action.

• Authors: Gabriela Cristina De Paula, Jade de Oliveira, Daiane Fátima Engel, Samantha Cristiane Lopes, Eduardo Luiz Gasnhar Moreira, Claudia Pinto Figueiredo, Rui Daniel Prediger, Andreza Fabro de Bem
• Journal: Nutritional neuroscience (Nutr Neurosci) Vol. 24 Issue 12 Pg. 978-988 (Dec 2021) ISSN: 1476-8305 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 31910791 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Cholesterol, Dietary
• Receptors, LDL

Topics

• Animals
• Behavior, Animal
• Brain (blood supply)
• Cholesterol, Dietary (administration & dosage)
• Cognitive Dysfunction (etiology, prevention & control)
• Disease Models, Animal
• Hippocampus (physiopathology)
• Hypercholesterolemia (complications, genetics, physiopathology)
• Liver Diseases, Alcoholic
• Male
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred C57BL
• Mice, Knockout
• Motor Activity
• Receptors, LDL (deficiency, genetics, physiology)
• Wine