Astaxanthin, a carotenoid antioxidant, pretreatment alleviates cognitive deficits in aircraft noised mice by attenuating inflammatory and oxidative damage to the gut, heart and hippocampus

We first explore whether aircraft noise (AN) induces cognitive deficit via inducing oxidative damage in multiple vital organs including intestines, hearts and hippocampus tissues. Second, we explore whether the AN-induced cognitive deficits and inflammatory and oxidative damage to multiple organs can be alleviated by Astaxanthin (AX) pretreatment.Cognitive deficits were induced by subjecting the mice to AN 2 h daily for 7 consecutive days. An intragastrical dose of AX emulsifier (at the dose of daily feed intake [6 g] of a mouse three times weekly) was given to mice for consecutive 8 weeks prior to the start of AN. Cognitive functions were evaluated by using passive avoidance apparatus, Y-maze, Morris water maze and novel recognition test. Intestinal permeability was determined by measuring the intestinal clearance of fluorescein-isothiocyante. Evans Blue extravasation assay was used to measure the permeability of blood-brain-barrier. Inflammatory and oxidative damage to multiple organs were determined by measuring several pro-inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress indicators in intestines; hearts and hippocampus.Mice treated with AN displayed exacerbated stress reactions, cognitive deficits, gut barrier hyperpermeability, increased upload of lipopolysaccharide translocation, systemic pro-inflammatory cytokines overproduction, blood-brain-barrier hyperpermeability, hippocampal neuroinflammation and increased levels of oxidative stress indicators in intestine, heart and hippocampus. All of the above-mentioned disorders caused by AN were significantly (P < 0.05) reversed by AX.Our data indicate that AX pretreatment alleviates cognitive deficits in aircraft noised mice by attenuating inflammatory and oxidative damage to intestines, hearts and hippocampal tissues.