Protective Effects of Fish (Alaska Pollock) Protein Intake against Short-Term Memory Decline in Senescence-Accelerated Mice

Abstract

Dietary fish intake has proven to have health benefits in humans. n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in fish oil (FO), especially, may provide protection against age-related cognitive disorders. Owing to the unique benefits of n-3 PUFAs, other nutrients, such as fish protein (FP), have not been well studied. To clarify the effects of FO and FP on brain function, we investigated whether FO or FP feeding can prevent age-related cognitive dysfunction in senescence-accelerated mouse-prone 10 (SAMP10) mice. The FP group maintained a better working memory compared to the control and FO groups in the Y-maze test, but not episodic memory in the novel object recognition test. To evaluate demyelination levels, we measured neurofilament H (NfH) and myelin basic protein (MBP) immunoreactivity in the hippocampus (Hipp). Axon morphology was maintained in the FP group, but not in the control and FO groups. Additionally, the percentage of positive area for double-staining with NfH/MPB was significantly higher in the Hipp of FP-fed mice than in the control (p < 0.05). These results suggest that FP intake prevents age-related cognitive dysfunction by maintaining axonal morphology in the Hipp of SAMP10 mice.

Exploring animal protein sources against prevent age‐related short‐term memory decline in mice: Dietary fish (Alaska Pollock) protein exhibits superior protective effects

“…In particular, daily diet is important for maintaining health and reducing the risk of disease, and several studies have emphasized its crucial role not only in maintaining physical health but also in preserving normal cognitive function (Gomez-Pinilla, 2008;Puri et al, 2023). Previous studies, including ours, have shown that a higher intake of dietary fish is associated with the prevention of age-related cognitive impairment in both humans (Nozaki et al, 2021) and animals (Murakami et al, 2022). In particular, we have demonstrated that supplementation with fish protein derived from Alaska Pollock protein (APP) could effectively protect against cognitive decline in senescence-accelerated mice prone 10 (SAMP10) when compared with casein (CAS) or fish oil, comprising docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid.…”

“…APP and CP were prepared from raw materials as described previously (Hosomi et al., 2020; Murakami et al., 2022). Briefly, Alaska Pollock ( Theragra chalcogramma ) and chicken breast meat were dehydrated via freeze drying (FDU‐1200, Tokyo Rikakikai Co., Ltd.).…”

“…Immunofluorescent staining was conducted as described previously (Murakami et al, 2022). Briefly, antigen retrieval was performed via incubating with 10 mM citric acid (pH 6.0) at 80 • C. Following a brief wash, sections were permeabilized with 0.5% Triton X-100/PBS.…”

“…Moreover, a feeding diet comprising WP powder was found to ameliorate amyloid peptide deposition and tau hyperphosphorylation in the brain of a tripletransgenic mouse model of AD (Li et al, 2023). Previously, we reported that the dietary intake of APP exerts greater protective effects against short-term memory decline in SAMP10 mice than CAS or fish oil (Murakami et al, 2022). However, the protein source that yields the highest protection against short-term memory decline and the underlying mechanisms of these protective effects remain unclear.…”

Ameliorative Effect of Omega-3-Rich Fish Diet on the Neurotoxic Effects of Propionic Acid in a Rodent Model of Autism

“…According to a recent study on dietary fish intake, fish protein and oil feed can prevent age-related short-term memory loss in mice. The findings also showed that fish feed have physiological advantages for preserving axon shape in the hippocampus and lowering the risk of brain damage [30]. Several studies have demonstrated the role of omega-3 fatty acids in behaviour and reading skills [31,32].…”