Cerebrosides from Sea Cucumber Improved Aβ_1–42‐Induced Cognitive Deficiency in a Rat Model of Alzheimer's Disease

Abstract

Scope Cerebrosides are a class of neutral glycosphingolipids, which are widely found to be present in brain tissue. In this study, the protective effect of sea cucumber cerebrosides (Cer) against β‐amyloid (Aβ)‐induced cognitive impairment is investigated. Methods and results Male SD rats receive a ventricle injection Aβ1–42 peptide to establish an Alzheimer's disease model. Then, the protective effects of Cer against Aβ1–42‐induced cognitive impairment by gavage and feed addition are evaluated. The Morris water maze test results show that oral administration of Cer can significantly ameliorate Aβ1–42‐induced cognitive deficiency at both high dose (200 mg per kg·per day) and low dose (40 mg per kg·per day) for 27 days. Dietary supplement of Cer by feed addition also exhibits the amelioration on the impaired cognitive function. Further findings indicate that Cer ameliorates Aβ1–42‐induced neuronal damage and suppresses the induced apoptosis by decreasing the level of Bax/Bcl‐2. Additionally, Cer enhances the expressions of PSD‐95 and synaptophysin by activating BDNF/TrkB/CREB signaling pathway, thereby ameliorating Aβ1–42‐induced synaptic dysfunction. Furthermore, Cer attenuates Aβ1–42‐induced tau hyperphosphorylation by activating the PI3K/Akt/GSK3β signaling pathway. Conclusion Sea cucumber cerebrosides possess neuroprotective effects against Aβ1–42‐triggered cognitive deficits, which may be a potential nutritional preventive strategy for neurodegenerative diseases.

Benefits under the Sea: The Role of Marine Compounds in Neurodegenerative Disorders

“…Due to this unique structure, cerebrosides have various biological activities and, as a result, have attracted pharmaceutical research attention. In Li et al’s study [ 44 ], an AD rat model was obtained by intraventricular injection of Aβ1–42 and treated with cerebrosides by intragastric administration. Initially, the Morris water maze results indicated that oral administration of sea cucumber cerebrosides could significantly ameliorate the impaired cognitive function in Aβ1–42-treated rats.…”

Icaritin Improves Memory and Learning Ability by Decreasing BACE‐1 Expression and the Bax/Bcl‐2 Ratio in Senescence‐Accelerated Mouse Prone 8 (SAMP8) Mice

“…A β accumulation was proved to be able to lead to neuronal apoptosis, which was regulated by some regulators, such as the antiapoptotic Bcl-2 and proapoptotic Bax. It has been reported that the relative expression of Bax/Bcl-2 was significantly increased in A β 1-42 -injected rats compared with that of the sham group rats, and neuronal apoptosis will be caused by intracerebroventricular injection of A β 1-42 [ 31 , 32 ]. Apoptosis is the main reason for the loss of dopaminergic neurons.…”

Marine Biocompounds for Neuroprotection—A Review

“…One study investigated the protective effects of sea cucumber-derived cerebrosides against amyloid-β-induced cognitive impairment on AD male rat models. Results proved the neuroprotective capacity of the marine-derived glycolipids by ameliorating neuronal damage and suppressing the induced apoptosis [180]. Moreover, gangliosides, a family of glycosphingolipids containing sialic acid linked to an oligoglycosyl backbone, which is further attached to a ceramide base, are highly expressed in vertebrate nervous systems [181].…”