Glutamate excitotoxicity induced by orally administered propionic acid, a short chain fatty acid can be ameliorated by bee pollen

Abstract

BackgroundRodent models may guide investigations towards identifying either environmental neuro-toxicants or drugs with neuro-therapeutic effects. This work aims to study the therapeutic effects of bee pollen on brain glutamate excitotoxicity and the impaired glutamine-glutamate- gamma amino butyric acid (GABA) circuit induced by propionic acid (PPA), a short chain fatty acid, in rat pups.MethodsTwenty-four young male Western Albino rats 3–4 weeks of age, and 45–60 g body weight were enrolled in the present study. They were grouped into four equal groups: Group 1, the control received phosphate buffered saline at the same time of PPA adminstration; Group 2, received 750 mg/kg body weight divided into 3 equal daily doses and served as acute neurotoxic dose of PPA; Group 3, received 750 mg/kg body weight divided in 10 equal doses of 75 mg/kg body weight/day, and served as the sub-acute group; and Group 4, the therapeutic group, was treated with bee pollen (50 mg/kg body weight) for 30 days after acute PPA intoxication. GABA, glutamate and glutamine were measured in the brain homogenates of the four groups.ResultsThe results showed that PPA caused multiple signs of excitotoxicity, as measured by the elevation of glutamate and the glutamate/glutamine ratio and the decrease of GABA, glutamine and the GABA/glutamate ratio. Bee pollen was effective in counteracting the neurotoxic effects of PPA to a certain extent.ConclusionIn conclusion, bee pollen demonstrates ameliorating effects on glutamate excitotoxicity and the impaired glutamine-glutamate-GABA circuit as two etiological mechanisms in PPA-induced neurotoxicity.

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“…Al-Salem et al, 30 and El-Ansary et al, 31 suggest that bee pollen has potential candidate for further studies for the development of new treatment strategies to autism. In the both studies was proved the bee pollen positive effect due to the biological properties of its components, in particular, phenolic compounds and amino acid composition, resulting to ameliorate oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, poor detoxification, and abnormal gut microbiota.…”

Role of short-chain fatty acids in the gut-brain axis in schizophrenia: contribution to immune activation and pathophysiology in humans and mice

“…Potential roles of SCFAs in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia are also likely since they are known to affect metabolic pathways[27, 28], oxidative stress pathways[29, 30], and neurotransmitter pathways[31, 32, 33], all of which are involved in schizophrenia pathology [34]. SCFAs cross the blood brain barrier (BBB) and are internalized by nerve cells to provide energy for these cells, particularly during postnatal brain development[27, 28].…”

“…SCFAs cross the blood brain barrier (BBB) and are internalized by nerve cells to provide energy for these cells, particularly during postnatal brain development[27, 28]. After entering the brain, SCFAs affect cellular oxidative stress functions[29, 30], lipid metabolism[35, 36], regulate the release and synthesis of neurotransmitters[31, 32, 33] and alter microglial homeostasis[37]. Moreover, overstimulation of propionic acid in the brain produces neurocognitive defects, abnormal motor movements, and impaired social interactions in rodents[36, 38, 39].…”

The Ameliorating Effects of Bee Pollen on Scopolamine-Induced Cognitive Impairment in Mice

“…15) In addition, it has been reported that bee pollen has a large scope of therapeutic characters, like antimicrobial, antifungal, antioxi-dant, anti-radiation, hepatoprotective or anti-inflammatory activities. [16][17][18][19] Recently, it has also been reported that bee pollen could ameliorate glutamate excitotoxicity 20) and attenuate both brain strokes and heart disease, 21) suggesting that bee pollen might be a useful agent in the treatment of neurodegenerative disease. However, to our knowledge, there have not been any works published regarding the effect of bee pollen on cognitive functions.…”