Short- and long-term cognitive and metabolic effects of medium-chain triglyceride supplementation in rats.

Medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) possess neuroprotective properties. However, the long-term metabolic consequences of supplementing a regular diet with cognition-enhancing doses of MCT are largely unknown. We studied the effects of chronic (28 days) supplementation of regular diet with different doses of MCT oil (1, 3, or 6 g/kg/day) or water (control) on working memory (Y-maze), behavior in the Open Field, spatial learning (Morris water maze), and weight of internal organs in male Wistar 2.

Reference gene expression stability within the rat brain under mild intermittent ketosis induced by supplementation with medium-chain triglycerides.

Reverse transcription followed by quantitative (real-time) polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) has become the gold standard in mRNA expression analysis. However, it requires an accurate choice of reference genes for adequate normalization. The aim of this study was to validate the reference genes for qPCR experiments in the brain of rats in the model of mild ketosis established through supplementation with medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) and intermittent fasting.

Changes in activity of µ- and m-calpains and signs of neuroinflammation in the hippocampus and striatum of rats after single intraperitoneal injection of subseptic dose of endotoxin.

Some mechanisms of neuronal degeneration in endotoxinemia are already well described, but need to be detailed. In this study, we tested the effect of a single intraperitoneal injection of a LPS sub-septic dose (1 mg/kg of animal weight) on calpain activity in the striatum and hippocampus. We showed, that in the hippocampus the day after LPS administration an increase in production of IL-1β and TNF-α mRNA, followed by elevated mRNA expression and activity of µ- and m-calpains without signs of microglia activation is observed.

Developmental prefrontal mRNA expression of D2 dopamine receptor splice variants and working memory impairments in rats after early life Interleukin-1β elevation.

Long (D2L) and Short (D2S) isoforms of D2 dopamine receptor differ in their biochemical and physiological properties, which could affect functioning of prefrontal cortex. Contribution of distinct D2 dopamine receptor isoforms to cognitive dysfunctions and its developmental regulation are currently not fully elucidated. In the present study, we evaluated developmental mRNA expression of D2S/D2L dopamine receptor isoforms within the rat medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in the model of neurodevelopmental cognitive dysfunction.