Memory performance, brain excitatory amino acid and acetylcholinesterase activity of chronically aluminum exposed mice in response to soy isoflavones treatment

Abstract

Memory performance, brain excitatory amino acid and acetylcholinesterase activity of chronically aluminum (Al) exposed mice in response to soy isoflavones (SI) treatment was investigated in the study. Forty eight mice were allotted randomly into a control group, an Al exposed group (100 mg/kg Al) and an Al exposed group treated with SI (100 mg/kg Al + 60 mg/kg SI) for 60 days. Chronic Al exposure significantly impaired long memory performance in mice as assessed using a passive avoidance task test (χ(2) analysis, p < 0.05). Interestingly, SI treatment markedly improved the memory performance score in the Al exposed mice. This improvement was associated with a total reversal of Al-induced increases in acetylcholinesterase activity in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus of mice. The Al exposure also led to significant decreases in brain levels of aspartic and glutamic acids, two excitatory amino acid neurotransmitters; whereas SI treatment partially reversed the decreased aspartic and glutamic acid contents in the hippocampus. The results suggest that SI can improve long memory performance in the Al exposed mice, possibly by modulating the metabolism of brain acetylcholine and amino acid neurotransmitters.