Protective effects of grape seed procyanidin extract on neurotrophic and muscarinic signaling pathways in the aging neuromuscular junction.

Marta Balanyà-Segura, Aleksandra Polishchuk, Laia Just-Borràs, Víctor Cilleros-Mañé, Carolina Silvera, Meryem Jami-ElHirchi, Montserrat Pinent, Anna Ardévol, Marta Tomàs, Maria A Lanuza, Erica Hurtado, Josep Tomàs

Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Unitat d'Histologia i Neurobiologia (UHNeurob), Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Sant Llorenç 21, 43201 Reus, Spain. [email protected] Rovira i Virgili, Unitat d'Histologia i Neurobiologia (UHNeurob), Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Sant Llorenç 21, 43201 Reus, Spain. [email protected]. · pubmed

Paper

Abstract

At the neuromuscular junction (NMJ), which coordinates movement, postsynaptic-derived neurotrophic factors have neuroprotective functions and retrogradely regulate the exocytotic machinery involved in neurotransmitter release. In parallel, presynaptic autocrine muscarinic signaling plays a fundamental modulatory role in this synapse. We previously found that these signaling pathways are impaired in the aged neuromuscular system. In this follow-up study, we investigated an anti-aging strategy using grape seed procyanidin extract (GSPE), a common dietary antioxidant known for its neuroprotective properties in various pathologies, but its effects on the aged neuromuscular system remain unexplored. This study analyses whether GSPE can mitigate age-associated impairments in neurotrophic and muscarinic signaling within the neuromuscular system. We assessed the expression (protein levels) and activation (phosphorylation) of the key proteins in the brain-derived-neurotrophic-factor (BDNF)/neurotrophin 4 (NT-4) and muscarinic pathways in the

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Research summary

The paper claims that grape seed procyanidin extract can mitigate age-associated impairments in neurotrophic and muscarinic signaling within the neuromuscular system. This research addresses potential interventions that target underlying mechanisms of aging, specifically in the context of neuromuscular function.

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