Many coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-recovered patients report signs and symptoms and are experiencing neurological, psychiatric, and cognitive problems. However, the exact prevalence and outcome of cognitive sequelae is unclear. Even though the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 has target brain cells through binding to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor in acute infection, several studies indicate the absence of the virus in the brain of many COVID-19 patients who developed neurological disorders. Thus, the COVID-19 mechanisms for stimulating cognitive dysfunction may include neuroinflammation, which is mediated by a sustained systemic inflammation, a disrupted brain barrier, and severe glial reactiveness, especially within the limbic system. This review explores the interplay of infected lungs and brain in COVID-19 and its impact on the cognitive function.
Objective
6‐Shogaol, bioactive compound of Zingiber officinale Roscoe, has anti‐inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective properties. The objective of the present study was to verify the effect of 6‐shogaol on behavioral parameters in a preclinical model based on a maternal immune activation (MIA) by lipopolysaccharide (LPS).
Methodology
Twelve pregnant Wistar rats received 100‐μg/kg LPS or saline solution on gestational day (GD) 9.5. Male offspring participated in the study and in the postnatal day (PND) 30 and 55 were supplemented with 6‐shogaol or saline solution, by gavage at a dose of 10 mg/kg/day, orally for 5 days. In the PND 35 and 60 was performed the behavioral tests: grooming, crossing, and rearing that evaluated repetitive movements, anxiety, and interest in the new, respectively, and the inhibitory avoidance test that evaluated short‐term (STM) and long‐term memory (LTM).
Result
Prenatal exposure to LPS increased the grooming and crossing episodes at different ages and reduced rearing episodes in PND 37. Treatment with 6‐shogaol reversed these parameters. In the inhibitory avoidance test, an improvement of memory was identified with 6‐shogaol in the STM and LTM at both ages comparing training and test session of treated groups and between groups.
Conclusion
Administration of 6‐shogaol reverses the stereotypy, exploratory behavior, and memory impairment in prenatal LPS‐exposed offspring, acting as a promising therapeutic component against brain disorders associated with the process of MIA.
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