# Cherry Juice Improves Memory and Anxiety by Modulating Cell Number in the Hippocampus of Male Rat Pups Infected with Lipopolysaccharides During Gestation and Gestation-Lactation

## TL;DR

Cherry juice helps improve memory and reduce anxiety in rat pups exposed to LPS during pregnancy by protecting brain cells in the hippocampus.

## Contribution

This study shows cherry juice can counteract LPS-induced neuroinflammation and hippocampal damage in offspring.

## Key findings

- LPS exposure during gestation and gestation-lactation impaired memory and increased anxiety in rat pups.
- Cherry juice restored hippocampal cell counts and normalized inflammation markers in LPS-exposed offspring.
- Administration of cherry juice improved both short- and long-term memory performance in treated groups.

## Abstract

Exposure to lipopolysaccharides (LPS) during pregnancy have been linked to alterations in the offspring’s central nervous system. Cherries are a source of anthocyanins, which possess neuroprotective properties. The study aimed to evaluate the neuroprotective effects of cherry juice (CJ) on memory and hippocampal cell counts in offspring exposed to LPS during gestation and the gestation-lactation periods. At postnatal day 90, rat pups were divided into five groups: Control (saline solution), LPS-G (LPS during gestation), LPS-G+CJ (LPS during gestation+CJ), LPS-GL (LPS during gestation-lactation), and LPS-GL+CJ (LPS during gestation-lactation+CJ). A battery of behavioral tests was conducted to assess short- and long-term memory and anxiety-like behavior. Histological analysis was performed on hippocampal regions. Leukocyte levels were measured as markers of systemic inflammation. Results showed that pups in the LPS-G and LPS-GL groups exhibited impaired memory, increased anxiety-like behavior, elevated leukocyte levels, and reduced cell counts in the dentate gyrus and CA1 regions, as well as in CA2 (LPS-G) and CA3 (LPS-GL). Cherry juice administration in the LPS-G+CJ and LPS-GL+CJ groups improved memory performance, normalized leukocyte levels, and restored hippocampal cell counts. These findings suggest that cherry juice exerts neuroprotective effects against LPS-induced neuroinflammation during gestation and the gestation-lactation periods.