Brain Factor-7® improves learning and memory deficits and attenuates ischemic brain damage by reduction of ROS generation in stroke in vivo and in vitro

• Main Authors: Yoohun Noh, Ji Hyeon Ahn, Ji-Won Lee, Junkee Hong, Tae-Kyeong Lee, Bora Kim, Sung-Su Kim, Moo-Ho Won
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2020-07-01
• Series: Laboratory Animal Research
• Subjects: BF-7; Silk fibroin peptide; SH-SY5Y; Cerebral ischemia; 8-arm maze test; Passive avoidance test
• Online Access: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s42826-020-00057-x

Abstract Brain Factor-7® (BF-7), silk fibroin peptide, is known to be effective in improvement of memory and learning ability. In this study, the effects of BF-7 (10 mg/kg, p.o., pre-treatment for 7 days and post-treatment for 7 days) on neuroprotection and memory and learning functions were investigated in a rat model of transient focal cerebral ischemia and a gerbil model of transient global forebrain ischemia. Furthermore, to find the mechanism of BF-7, we examined the neuroprotective and antioxidative effects of BF-7 in vitro using neuroblastoma (SH-SY5Y) cells. In vivo model, treatment with BF-7 significantly reduced the number of errors in 8-arm maze test and significantly increased latency time in passive avoidance test at 7 days after focal ischemia compared to those in the vehicle-treated group. In addition, treatment with BF-7 significantly decreased the infarct size or neuronal death at 7 day following transient ischemia compared to that in the vehicle-treated group. In vitro model, 10 or 20 μg/ml of BF-7 treatment significantly increased cell viability in dose-dependent manner. In addition, oxidative stress was significantly attenuated in the ischemic cells, showing that 10 or 20 μg/ml of BF-7 treatment significantly reduced the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) compared to that in the ischemic cells. These results indicate that BF-7 treatment can attenuate ischemic damages and improve memory deficits via reduction of ROS generation.