Dietary Virgin Olive Oil Reduces Blood Brain Barrier Permeability, Brain Edema, and Brain Injury in Rats Subjected to Ischemia-Reperfusion

Abstract

Recent studies suggest that dietary virgin olive oil (VOO) reduces hypoxia-reoxygenation injury in rat brain slices. We sought to extend these observations in an in vivo study of rat cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury. Four groups, each consisting of 18 Wistar rats, were studied. One group (control) received saline, while three treatment groups received oral VOO (0.25, 0.5, and 0.75 mL/kg/day, respectively). After 30 days, blood lipid profiles were determined, before a 60-min period of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). After 24-h reperfusion, neurological deficit scores, infarct volume, brain edema, and blood brain barrier permeability were each assessed in subgroups of six animals drawn from each main group. VOO reduced the LDL/HDL ratio in doses of 0.25, 0.5, and 0.75 mL/kg/day in comparison to the control group (p < 0.05), and offered cerebroprotection from ischemia-reperfusion. For controls vs. doses of 0.25 vs. 0.5 vs. 0.75 mL/kg/day, attenuated corrected infarct volumes were 207.82 ± 34.29 vs. 206.41 ± 26.23 vs. 124.21 ± 14.73 vs. 108.46 ± 31.63 mm3; brain water content of the infarcted hemisphere was 82 ±± 0.25 vs. 81.5 ± 0.56 vs. 80.5 ± 0.22 vs. 80.5 ± 0.34%; and blood brain barrier permeability of the infarcted hemisphere was 11.31 ± 2.67 vs. 9.21 ± 2.28 vs. 5.83 ± 1.6 vs. 4.43 ± 0.93 µg/g tissue (p < 0.05 for measures in doses 0.5 and 0.75 mL/kg/day vs. controls). Oral administration of VOO reduces infarct volume, brain edema, blood brain barrier permeability, and improves neurologic deficit scores after transient MCAO in rats.

Evaluation of Thymus vulgaris Extract on Hippocampal Injury Induced by Transient Global Cerebral Ischemia and Reperfusion in Rat

“…Antioxidant compounds such as polyphenols which are found in some foods have been shown to reduce ischemic damage in animal models [29]. Thyme tea has been shown to improve symptoms of neurological disorder and its use is recommended to all people with neurological disorders [30].…”

A Showcase of Bench-to-Bedside Regenerative Medicine at the 2010 ASNTR

“…Impairment of the BBB has been shown in a number of disorders (see the previously referred to reports by Carvey et al, Freeman and Granholm at ASNTR [5, 64] and Mohagheghi et al, Thal in TheScientificWorldJournal [67, 135]. Thal proposes that altered drainage of extracellular fluid due to impairments in the BBB competes with perivascular drainage and could result in the accumulation of A β and other proteins within the brain).…”

Olive oil phenols and neuroprotection

“…17 Also a study documented that oral administration of olive oil ( physiologic doses of 0.5 and 0.75 ml/kg per day) is cerebroprotective in a rat model of ischemia reperfusion by reduction of brain edema, while the lower dose (0.25 ml/kg per day) was without effect. 16 Recently, we demonstrated that oleuropein treatment ( physiologic doses of 20 mg/kg immediately and 1 hour after spinal cord injury) significantly attenuated expression of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and IL-1β, the potent pro-inflammatory cytokines, and consequently expression of iNOS and COX-2. 77 We also found that oleuropein treatment significantly attenuated expression of poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and nitrotyrosine, 77 and reduced MPO activity, 78 which is indicating a reduction of the neutrophil influx in the injured spinal tissue.…”

“…13 A further study showed that pretreatment with virgin olive oil for 30 days and 2 h before middle cerebral artery occlusion ( physiologic doses of 0.5 and 0.75 ml/kg per day) resulted in a reduction of infarct volume, while the lower dose (0.25 ml/kg per day) had no effect. 16 Also a study documented that injection of physiologic dose of tyrosol (30 mg/kg) reduced infarct volume on transient focal cerebral ischemia in rats. 15 Other studies have shown that lactate dehydrogenase efflux, as a marker of brain cell death, inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner after 7 days of oral treatment with hydroxytyrosol and hydroxytyrosol acetate ( physiologic doses of 5 or 10 mg/kg per day), 14 and after virgin olive oil intake 12 in rat brain slices subjected to hypoxia-reoxygenation.…”

“…Further pharmacological activity of olive oil phenolics that may play a role in neuroprotection includes increasing of BBB integrity, 16 increasing of neurotrophic factor expression such as glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor, 25 hyperpolarization of basal mitochondrial membrane potential as a cytoprotection effect, 89 nerve Na (+), K (+)-ATPase activity reduction, 23 and decreasing of DNA strand break 18 as a marker of oxidative damage.…”