Mitigation of Aging-related Plasticity Decline Through Taurine Supplementation and Environmental Enrichment

Overview

Journal Sci Rep

Specialty Science

Date 2024 Aug 22

PMID 39174711

Authors

Aleksandra Gawryluk

Anita Cybulska-Klosowicz

Agata Charzynska

Renata Zakrzewska

Alicja Sobolewska

Malgorzata Kossut

Monika Liguz-Lecznar

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Aging-related biochemical changes in nerve cells lead to dysfunctional synapses and disrupted neuronal circuits, ultimately affecting vital processes such as brain plasticity, learning, and memory. The imbalance between excitation and inhibition in synaptic function during aging contributes to cognitive impairment, emphasizing the importance of compensatory mechanisms. Fear conditioning-related plasticity of the somatosensory barrel cortex, relying on the proper functioning and extensive up regulation of the GABAergic system, in particular interneurons containing somatostatin, is compromised in aging (one-year-old) mice. The present research explores two potential interventions, taurine supplementation, and environmental enrichment, revealing their effectiveness in supporting learning-induced plasticity in the aging mouse brain. They do not act through a mechanism normalizing the Glutamate/GABA balance that is disrupted in aging. Still, they allow for increased somatostatin levels, an effect observed in young animals after learning. These findings highlight the potential of lifestyle interventions and diet supplementation to mitigate age-related cognitive decline by promoting experience-dependent plasticity.

References

Kossut M, Hand P, Greenberg J, Hand C . Single vibrissal cortical column in SI cortex of rat and its alterations in neonatal and adult vibrissa-deafferented animals: a quantitative 2DG study. J Neurophysiol. 1988; 60(2):829-52. DOI: 10.1152/jn.1988.60.2.829. View

Siucinska E, Kossut M . Short-lasting classical conditioning induces reversible changes of representational maps of vibrissae in mouse SI cortex--a 2DG study. Cereb Cortex. 1996; 6(3):506-13. DOI: 10.1093/cercor/6.3.506. View

Segovia G, Yague A, Garcia-Verdugo J, Mora F . Environmental enrichment promotes neurogenesis and changes the extracellular concentrations of glutamate and GABA in the hippocampus of aged rats. Brain Res Bull. 2006; 70(1):8-14. DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2005.11.005. View

Schmidt S, Haase M, Best L, Groth M, Lindner J, Witte O . Restoring Age-Related Cognitive Decline through Environmental Enrichment: A Transcriptomic Approach. Cells. 2022; 11(23). PMC: 9736066. DOI: 10.3390/cells11233864. View

Suarez L, Munoz M, Martin Del Rio R, Solis J . Taurine content in different brain structures during ageing: effect on hippocampal synaptic plasticity. Amino Acids. 2016; 48(5):1199-208. DOI: 10.1007/s00726-015-2155-2. View

Beck B, Pourie G . Ghrelin, neuropeptide Y, and other feeding-regulatory peptides active in the hippocampus: role in learning and memory. Nutr Rev. 2013; 71(8):541-61. DOI: 10.1111/nure.12045. View

Suarez L, Bustamante J, Orensanz L, Martin Del Rio R, Solis J . Cooperation of taurine uptake and dopamine D1 receptor activation facilitates the induction of protein synthesis-dependent late LTP. Neuropharmacology. 2013; 79:101-11. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2013.10.035. View

Kim C, Cha Y . Taurine chloramine produced from taurine under inflammation provides anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective effects. Amino Acids. 2013; 46(1):89-100. DOI: 10.1007/s00726-013-1545-6. View

Galindo-Leon E, Lin F, Liu R . Inhibitory plasticity in a lateral band improves cortical detection of natural vocalizations. Neuron. 2009; 62(5):705-16. PMC: 2709999. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2009.05.001. View

10.

Mahncke H, Connor B, Appelman J, Ahsanuddin O, Hardy J, Wood R . Memory enhancement in healthy older adults using a brain plasticity-based training program: a randomized, controlled study. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006; 103(33):12523-8. PMC: 1526649. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0605194103. View

11.

Liguz-Lecznar M, Lehner M, Kaliszewska A, Zakrzewska R, Sobolewska A, Kossut M . Altered glutamate/GABA equilibrium in aged mice cortex influences cortical plasticity. Brain Struct Funct. 2014; 220(3):1681-93. DOI: 10.1007/s00429-014-0752-6. View

12.

Weuve J, Kang J, Manson J, Breteler M, Ware J, Grodstein F . Physical activity, including walking, and cognitive function in older women. JAMA. 2004; 292(12):1454-61. DOI: 10.1001/jama.292.12.1454. View

13.

Lazarov O, Robinson J, Tang Y, Hairston I, Korade-Mirnics Z, Lee V . Environmental enrichment reduces Abeta levels and amyloid deposition in transgenic mice. Cell. 2005; 120(5):701-13. DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2005.01.015. View

14.

Cybulska-Klosowicz A, Posluszny A, Nowak K, Siucinska E, Kossut M, Liguz-Lecznar M . Interneurons containing somatostatin are affected by learning-induced cortical plasticity. Neuroscience. 2013; 254:18-25. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2013.09.020. View

15.

El Idrissi A, Shen C, LAmoreaux W . Neuroprotective role of taurine during aging. Amino Acids. 2013; 45(4):735-50. DOI: 10.1007/s00726-013-1544-7. View

16.

Sale A, Maya Vetencourt J, Medini P, Cenni M, Baroncelli L, de Pasquale R . Environmental enrichment in adulthood promotes amblyopia recovery through a reduction of intracortical inhibition. Nat Neurosci. 2007; 10(6):679-81. DOI: 10.1038/nn1899. View

17.

Liguz-Lecznar M, Urban-Ciecko J, Kossut M . Somatostatin and Somatostatin-Containing Neurons in Shaping Neuronal Activity and Plasticity. Front Neural Circuits. 2016; 10:48. PMC: 4927943. DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2016.00048. View

18.

Cortese G, Olin A, ORiordan K, Hullinger R, Burger C . Environmental enrichment improves hippocampal function in aged rats by enhancing learning and memory, LTP, and mGluR5-Homer1c activity. Neurobiol Aging. 2017; 63:1-11. PMC: 5801151. DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2017.11.004. View

19.

Menzie J, Prentice H, Wu J . Neuroprotective Mechanisms of Taurine against Ischemic Stroke. Brain Sci. 2014; 3(2):877-907. PMC: 4061860. DOI: 10.3390/brainsci3020877. View

20.

Sokoloff L, Reivich M, Kennedy C, Des Rosiers M, PATLAK C, Pettigrew K . The [14C]deoxyglucose method for the measurement of local cerebral glucose utilization: theory, procedure, and normal values in the conscious and anesthetized albino rat. J Neurochem. 1977; 28(5):897-916. DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.1977.tb10649.x. View