Antioxidative effects of a novel dietary supplement Neumentix in a mouse stroke model

Efficacy of a Spearmint (Mentha spicata L.) Extract as Nutritional Support in a Rat Model of Hypertensive Glaucoma

Purpose

Glaucoma is an eye-brain axis disorder characterized by loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Although the role of intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation in glaucoma has been established, the reduction of oxidative stress and inflammation has emerged as a promising target for neuronal tissue-supporting glaucoma management. Therefore, we evaluated the effect of a proprietary spearmint extract (SPE) on RGC density, activity, and neuronal health markers in a rat model of hypertensive glaucoma.

Methods

Animals were divided in four groups: untreated healthy control and three glaucomatous groups receiving orally administered vehicle, SPE-low dose, or SPE-high dose for 28 days. Ocular hypertension was induced through intracameral injection of methylcellulose at day 15. At day 29, rats underwent electroretinogram (ERG) recordings, and retinas were analyzed for RGC density and markers of neural trophism, oxidative stress, and inflammation.

Results

SPE exerted dose-dependent response benefits on all markers except for IOP elevation. SPE significantly improved RGC-related ERG responses, cell density, neurotrophins, oxidative stress, and inflammation markers. Also, in SPE-high rats, most of the parameters were not statistically different from those of healthy controls.

Conclusions

SPE, a plant-based, polyphenolic extract, could be an effective nutritional support for neuronal tissues.

Translational Relevance

These results suggest that SPE not only may be a complementary approach in support to hypotensive treatments for the management of glaucoma but may also serve as nutritional support in other ocular conditions where antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective mechanism are often disrupted.

Neuroprotective effects of carnosine in a mice stroke model concerning oxidative stress and inflammatory response

Carnosine (β-alanyl-L-histidine) is a natural dipeptide with multiple neuroprotective properties. Previous studies have advertised that carnosine scavenges free radicals and displays anti-inflammatory activity. However, the underlying mechanism and the efficacies of its pleiotropic effect on prevention remained obscure. In this study, we aimed to investigate the anti-oxidative, anti-inflammative, and anti-pyroptotic effects of carnosine in the transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) mouse model. After a daily pre-treatment of saline or carnosine (1000 mg / kg / day) for 14 days, mice (n = 24) were subjected to tMCAO for 60 min and continuously treated with saline or carnosine for additional 1 and 5 days after reperfusion. The administration of carnosine significantly decreased infarct volume 5 days after the tMCAO (*p < 0.05) and effectively suppressed the expression of 4-HNE, 8-OHdG, Nitrotyrosine 5 days, and RAGE 5 days after tMCAO. Moreover, the expression of IL-1β was also significantly suppressed 5 days after tMCAO. Our present findings demonstrated that carnosine effectively relieves oxidative stress caused by ischemic stroke and significantly attenuates neuroinflammatory responses related to IL-1β, suggesting that carnosine can be a promising therapeutic strategy for ischemic stroke.

Neuroprotective effects of Scallop-derived plasmalogen in a mouse model of ischemic stroke

Scallop-derived plasmalogen (sPlas) has both anti-oxidative and anti-inflammation activities, but its efficacy has not been investigated in ischemic stroke models where oxidative stress, inflammation, and neurovascular unit (NVU) damage accelerates pathophysiological progression. Therefore, in the present study, we aimed to assess the neuroprotective effects of sPlas in ischemic stroke by using a transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) mouse model. After the pretreatment of vehicle or sPlas (10 mg/kg/day) for 14 days, adult male mice were subjected to tMCAO for 60 min, then continuously treated with vehicle or sPlas during reperfusion and for an additional 5 days. The administration of sPlas significantly improved motor deficits (corner and rotarod tests, *p < 0.05 vs vehicle), enhanced serum antioxidative activity (OXY-adsorbent and d-ROMs tests, *p < 0.05 vs vehicle), reduced infarction volume (*p < 0.05 vs vehicle), decreased the expression of two oxidative stress markers, 4-HNE (*p < 0.05 vs vehicle) and 8-OHdG (*p < 0.05 vs vehicle), decreased the expression of pro-inflammatory markers Iba-1 (**p < 0.01 vs vehicle), IL-1β (**p < 0.01 vs vehicle), and TNF-α (**p < 0.01 vs vehicle), and alleviated NVU damage (collagen IV, MMP9, and GFAP/collagen IV, *p < 0.05 vs vehicle). Our present findings are the first to demonstrate the neuroprotective effects of sPlas on acute ischemic stroke mice at 5 d after tMCAO via anti-oxidative stress, anti-inflammation, and improvement of NVU damage, suggesting the potential of sPlas in preventing and treating ischemic stroke.