Dose-dependent decrease in mortality with no cognitive or muscle function improvements due to dietary EGCG supplementation in aged mice

Brandt D. Pence, Tushar K. Bhattacharya, Pul Park, Jennifer L. Rytych, Jacob M. Allen, Yi Sun, Robert H. McCusker, Keith W. Kelley, Rodney W. Johnson, Justin S. Rhodes, Jeffrey A. Woods

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

We have previously shown that a diet containing epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and beta-alanine is not effective in improving either cognitive or muscle function in aged (18 month) mice (Gibbons et al., Behav. Brain Res., 2014, 272:131-140; Pence et al., Appl. Physiol. Nutr. Metab., 2016, 41(2): 181-190). However, this diet reduced oxidative stress in the brain, and previous studies using longer term interventions and other doses have documented beneficial effects in cognitive and muscle function, especially with EGCG. Here we hypothesized that a different dose of EGCG or longer feeding period would be more efficacious in improving cognition. Aged (21-25 mo) Balb/cByJ male mice underwent 63 days of feeding with EGCG at 0, 0.091, or 3.67 mg/g AIN-93M diet and were then subjected to a battery of cognitive and muscle function tests. EGCG feeding at either of the 2 doses did not alter preference for novel versus familiar arm in the Y-maze test (p = 0.29) and did not affect learning in the active avoidance test (p = 0.76). Similarly, EGCG did not affect preference for novel versus familiar mice in a social discrimination test (p = 0.17). Likewise, there was no effect of EGCG on muscle function by grip strength (p = 0.16), rotarod (p = 0.18), or treadmill test to exhaustion (p = 0.25). EGCG reduced mortality in a dose-dependent fashion (p = 0.05, log-rank test for trend), with 91% of high EGCG, 72% of low EGCG, and 55% of control mice surviving to the end of the study. In conclusion, EGCG improves survival in aged mice but does not affect cognitive or muscle function.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)495-502
Number of pages8
JournalApplied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism = Physiologie appliquee, nutrition et metabolisme
Volume42
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - May 1 2017

Keywords

  • aging
  • cognition
  • dietary intervention
  • epigallocatechin gallate
  • intervention alimentaire
  • mortality
  • mortalité
  • vieillissement
  • épigallocatéchine gallate

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
  • Physiology
  • Nutrition and Dietetics
  • Physiology (medical)

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