One hundred and sixty non-diabetic patients with cerebral ischemia of primary onset were enrolled in the study. The patients were divided into impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) group and normal glucose tolerance (NGT) group according to the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Carotid atherosclerosis and carotid artery stenosis were examined with vascular Doppler ultrasonic detection. The incidence rates of carotid atherosclerosis in IGT group and NGT group were 87. 5% (70/80)and 63.8% (51/80)respectively (χ2= 12.240,P <0.001);the incidence rates of carotid stenosis in IGT group and NGT group were 63.8% (51/80) and 47. 5 % (38/80), respectively(χ2 =4. 279, P =0. 039);the degree of carotid artery stenosis in IGT group was higher than that in NGT group(χ2= 21.95, P < 0. 01). The results indicate that IGT may be related to atherosclerosis and stenosis of carotid artery in cerebral ischemic patients.

Monoamine oxidase(MAO) is a kind of mitochondrial outer membrane enzyme that degrades biogenic amines,such as catecholamine and serotonin.It has a variety of biological functions,and can be found in various human tissues,including nervous system.Two MAO enzymes,MAO-A and MAO-B have been identified.MAO gene has polymorphisms,and some of which have a close relationship with certain psychic diseases,such as major depression,alcoholism,antisocial personality disorder and so on.MAO gene can acts as a new forensic individual identification and parentage testing genetic marker or legal psychiatry testing referential genetic marker.

OBJECTIVETo investigate whether the antioxidation and the regulation on the Extracellular Regulated Protein Kinases (ERK) signaling pathway are involved in the protective effects of blueberry on central nervous system.

METHODS30 Senescence-accelerated mice prone 8 (SAMP8) mice were divided into three groups and treated with normal diet, blueberry extracts (200 mg/kg•bw/day) and cyaniding-3-O-galactoside (Cy-3-GAL) (50 mg/kg•bw/day) from blueberry for 8 weeks. 10 SAMR1 mice were set as control group. The capacity of spatial memory was assessed by Passive avoidance task and Morris water maze. Histological analyses on hippocampus were completed. Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) activity and the expression of ERK were detected.

RESULTSBoth Cy-3-GAL and blueberry extracts were shown effective functions to relieve cellular injury, improve hippocampal neurons survival and inhibit the pyramidal cell layer damage. Cy-3-GAL and blueberry extracts also increased SOD activity and reduced MDA content in brain tissues and plasma, and increased hippocampal phosphorylated ERK (p-ERK) expression in SAMP8 mice. Further more, the passive avoidance task test showed that both the latency time and the number of errors were improved by Cy-3-GAL treatment, and the Morris Water Maze test showed significant decreases of latency were detected by Cy-3-GAL and blueberry extracts treatment on day 4.

CONCLUSIONBlueberry extracts may reverse the declines of cognitive and behavioral function in the ageing process through several pathways, including enhancing the capacity of antioxidation, altering stress signaling. Cy-3-GAL may be an important active ingredient for these biological effects.

Aging ; drug effects ; Animals ; Anthocyanins ; pharmacology ; Avoidance Learning ; Blueberry Plants ; chemistry ; Dietary Supplements ; Galactosides ; pharmacology ; Hippocampus ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Maze Learning ; Memory ; drug effects ; Mice ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 ; metabolism ; Phosphorylation ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism