Early Life Vitamin C Deficiency Does Not Alter Morphology of Hippocampal CA1 Pyramidal Neurons or Markers of Synaptic Plasticity in a Guinea Pig Model
by
Stine N. Hansen 1, Jane M. Bjørn Jørgensen 1, Jens R. Nyengaard 1,2, Jens Lykkesfeldt 1
and Pernille Tveden-Nyborg 1,*
Stine N. Hansen 1, Jane M. Bjørn Jørgensen 1, Jens R. Nyengaard 1,2, Jens Lykkesfeldt 1 and Pernille Tveden-Nyborg 1,*
1
Section for Experimental Animals, Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Ridebanevej 9, 1870 Frederiksberg, Denmark
2
Core Center of Molecular Morphology, Section for Stereology and Microscopy, Centre for Stochastic Geometry and Advanced Bioimaging, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Noerrebrogade 44, Building 10G, 3rd Floor, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Nutrients 2018, 10(6), 749; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10060749
Received: 12 May 2018 / Revised: 28 May 2018 / Accepted: 7 June 2018 / Published: 8 June 2018
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lifestyle Strategies in Cognitive Decline: Focus on Nutrition)
Approximately 15% of the Western world population, including pregnant women and their children, is characterized as vitamin C (vitC) deficient. In guinea pigs, early life vitC deficiency causes spatial memory deficits, decreased hippocampal volume and neuron numbers, in otherwise clinically healthy animals. We hypothesized that vitC deficiency leads to decreased brain-derived neurotrophic factor and synaptic plasticity markers in selected brain areas (frontal cortex, hippocampus and striatum) and cause morphological changes in cornu ammonis 1 pyramidal neurons of the hippocampus either through a direct effect or indirectly by increased oxidative stress. Fifty-seven female guinea pigs were allocated to three groups receiving either 1390, 100 or 0–50 mg vitC/kg feed for 11 weeks. Dietary vitC levels were reflected in the plasma, cortical and adrenal gland levels, however, redox imbalance was only present in the adrenal glands allowing for the investigation of a direct influence of vitC deficiency on the chosen parameters in the brain. Synaptic plasticity markers were not affected in the investigated brain areas and no differences in isolated pyramidal neuron morphology was recorded. Based on our findings, it appears that vitC deficiency may primarily elicit impaired neuronal function through increased levels of oxidative stress.
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MDPI and ACS Style
Hansen, S.N.; Jørgensen, J.M.B.; Nyengaard, J.R.; Lykkesfeldt, J.; Tveden-Nyborg, P. Early Life Vitamin C Deficiency Does Not Alter Morphology of Hippocampal CA1 Pyramidal Neurons or Markers of Synaptic Plasticity in a Guinea Pig Model. Nutrients 2018, 10, 749.
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