Preventive, ameliorative, and therapeutic effects of steamed mature silkworms on metabolic disorders caused by loss of apolipoprotein E.

Abstract

Metabolic disorders encompass various dysregulations, such as dyslipidemia, hypertension, central obesity, atherogenic hyperlipidemia, and insulin resistance. Dyslipidemia refers to elevated levels of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides, along with decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in the blood. Dyslipidemia is closely associated with hypertension, which is one of the important risk factors for cardiovascular disease.In this study, an apolipoprotein E-deficient (apoE^-/-) mouse model was utilized to investigate whether supplementation with steamed mature silkworm, known as HongJam, might ameliorate and have therapeutic effects on metabolic disorders and behavioral abnormalities observed in apoE^-/- mice. The Golden Silk HongJam-supplemented feed-consuming (GSf)-apoE^-/- mice showed recovery from the reduced spatial memory, social memory, and postural control ability observed in the normal feed-consuming (Nf)-apoE^-/- mice. They also exhibited similar blood pressure to those in the normal feed-consuming C57BL/6J control (Nf-Con) group. Additionally, the significantly reduced activities of glutathione-S-transferase, superoxide dismutase, acetylcholinesterase, and mitochondrial complexes I-IV in the Nf-apoE^-/- group were restored in all GSf-apoE^-/- groups. Furthermore, the amount of ATP in all GSf-apoE^-/- mice was similar to or higher than that in the Nf-Con group.Taken together, GS HongJam supplementation may have preventive, ameliorative, and therapeutic effects on the symptoms of metabolic disorders caused by the loss of ApoE.