Neuroprotective potential of elderberry in alcohol-induced brain injury in rats: Electrophysiology, behavioral and histopathological studies

IF 4.4 4区心理学 Q3 PSYCHOLOGY, BIOLOGICAL

Learning and Motivation Pub Date : 2026-08-01 Epub Date: 2026-07-18 DOI:10.1016/j.lmot.2026.102314

Ibrahim Mohammadzadeh, Amir Masoud Dalband, Amirreza Beirami, Nagar Asadian, Maral Hasanzadeh, Zahrasadat lajevardi, Armin Karamian, Ali Charmchi, Aryan Seraj, Aryan Aghaei, Mohammadamin Sabbaghalvani, Esmaeil Mohammadbagheri, Zahra Ghasemi, Fatemeh Zare, Fatemeh Navaei, Hamzeh Badeli Sarkala, Mojtaba Sani, Abbas Aliaghaei

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Abstract

Chronic alcohol abuse leads to structural brain damage and behavioral impairments. Plant-derived compounds with neuroprotective properties, such as elderberry (EB), have emerged as potential therapeutic candidates for mitigating alcohol-induced neuroinflammation and cognitive deficits. This study investigated the effects of EB supplementation on hippocampal structure and function following chronic alcohol exposure in male albino rats. Animals were divided into three groups: Control, Alcohol, and Alcohol + EB. Learning and memory were assessed using the Y-maze, shuttle box, Morris water maze (MWM), and Barnes maze. Anxiety-like behavior was evaluated using the elevated plus maze (EPM), while depression-like behavior was assessed via the tail suspension test (TST) and forced swim test (FST). Hippocampal synaptic plasticity was examined through field excitatory postsynaptic potential (fEPSP) and population spike (PS) recordings. Astrocyte reactivity was evaluated by GFAP immunohistochemistry, and histopathological changes, including the number and spatial distribution of pyramidal neurons in the CA1 region, were assessed using Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) staining. Our findings demonstrated that EB supplementation significantly improved memory performance across all behavioral tasks compared to the alcohol group. Additionally, EB reduced anxiety- and depression-like behaviors, as evidenced by EPM, TST, and FST results. Electrophysiological recordings revealed that EB restored fEPSP slope and population spike amplitude to control levels, indicating preserved synaptic plasticity. Immunohistochemical analysis of GFAP expression in the hippocampus revealed a significant increase in GFAP-positive astrocytes in the alcohol group, indicating reactive astrogliosis. In contrast, EB treatment significantly reduced GFAP immunoreactivity, suggesting attenuation of alcohol-induced astrogliosis. Furthermore, EB treatment attenuated alcohol-induced morphological changes in astrocytes and protected hippocampal pyramidal neurons in the CA1 region, preserving both neuronal number and spatial organization. In summary, these preclinical findings suggest that EB may have potential neuroprotective effects against alcohol-induced brain damage, though human studies are required to confirm its therapeutic applicability.

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接骨木对大鼠酒精性脑损伤的神经保护作用：电生理学、行为学和组织病理学研究

长期酗酒会导致结构性脑损伤和行为障碍。具有神经保护特性的植物源化合物，如接骨木（EB），已成为缓解酒精诱导的神经炎症和认知缺陷的潜在治疗候选者。本研究探讨了补充EB对慢性酒精暴露后雄性白化大鼠海马结构和功能的影响。动物分为三组：对照组、酒精组和酒精组 + EB组。采用y型迷宫、穿梭箱、Morris水迷宫和Barnes迷宫评估学习记忆能力。焦虑样行为采用升高+迷宫（EPM）评估，抑郁样行为采用悬尾测试（TST）和强迫游泳测试（FST）评估。通过场兴奋性突触后电位（fEPSP）和群体峰（PS）记录检测海马突触的可塑性。采用GFAP免疫组化评价星形胶质细胞反应性，采用苏木精和伊红（H&；E）染色评价CA1区锥体神经元数量和空间分布等组织病理学变化。我们的研究结果表明，与酒精组相比，补充EB显著改善了所有行为任务的记忆表现。此外，正如EPM、TST和FST结果所证明的那样，EB减少了焦虑和抑郁样行为。电生理记录显示，EB使fEPSP斜率和种群峰值振幅恢复到控制水平，表明保留了突触的可塑性。免疫组织化学分析海马GFAP表达显示酒精组GFAP阳性星形胶质细胞显著增加，表明反应性星形胶质细胞形成。相比之下，EB治疗显著降低GFAP免疫反应性，提示酒精诱导的星形胶质细胞增生减弱。此外，EB治疗可减弱酒精诱导的星形胶质细胞形态学改变，保护海马锥体神经元在CA1区，保持神经元数量和空间组织。总之，这些临床前研究结果表明，EB可能对酒精引起的脑损伤具有潜在的神经保护作用，尽管需要进行人体研究来证实其治疗适用性。

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来源期刊

Learning and Motivation Multiple-

CiteScore

2.90

自引率

0.00%

发文量

期刊介绍： Learning and Motivation features original experimental research devoted to the analysis of basic phenomena and mechanisms of learning, memory, and motivation. These studies, involving either animal or human subjects, examine behavioral, biological, and evolutionary influences on the learning and motivation processes, and often report on an integrated series of experiments that advance knowledge in this field. Theoretical papers and shorter reports are also considered.