Long-term food restriction prevents aging-associated sphingolipid turnover dysregulation in the brain.

Abnormalities of sphingolipid turnover in the brain during normal aging and age-related neurological disorders were associated with the neurons loss and cognitive malfunction. Calorie restriction (CR) prevented age-related deficits in hippocampal long-term potentiation and improved cognitive function at old age. In the paper we investigated the ceramide and sphingomyelin (SM) levels in the brain regions, which are critical for learning and memory of 3- and 24-month-old rats, as well as the correction of sphingolipid turnover in the brain of old rats, by means of the CR diet and modulators of SM turnover.

Effects of flavonoids on sphingolipid turnover in the toxin-damaged liver and liver cells.

Background: The ceramide generation is an early event in the apoptotic response to numerous stimuli including the oxidative stress and ceramide analogs mimic the stress effect and induce apoptosis. Flavonoids of German chamomile are reported to exhibit the hepatoprotective effect. Flavonoids affect sphingolipid metabolism and reduce the elevated ceramide level in the aged liver.

Effects of Chamomilla recutita flavonoids on age-related liver sphingolipid turnover in rats.

The increased sphingolipid turnover in the liver is associated with elevation of free radical production and state of chronic inflammation at old age. Plant polyphenols are reported to exhibit antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. In the present paper, the lipids contents and ceramide production in the liver and hepatocytes as well as the correction of sphingolipid metabolism at old age using the mixture of Chamomilla recutita flavonoids (chamiloflan) or apigenin-7-glucoside or luteolin-7-glucoside alone have been investigated.