TDK conference 2020

Due to the recent advance in modern medicine, the average age of the human population has increased significantly, however, learning and cognitive disabilities are common negative factors among symptoms in the aged population. One pivotal factor in the obvious decline in cognitive function during aging is presumed to be the reduced synthesis of endogenous polyamines in the nervous system. The production of spermidine – an aliphatic polyamine – is also being reduced during aging, but its exogenous administration by food seems to be effective in relieving multiple signs of dementia. After absorption, spermidine can pass the blood–brain barrier and exert its neuroprotective effects. In this study we used quantitative transmission electron-microscopy of the hippocampal region of mice divided into three groups: young, old-aged and old spermidine supplemented.The hippocampus plays an essential role in many aspects of cognitive functions, including learning and memory. Besides analyzing the synaptic neuropil, we also focused on the density, shape and size of mitochondria in the neuropil, and compared the three groups. We found that spermidine helped to restore synaptic features in aged animals, and also the number of mitochondria, which was significantly decreased in old animals, compared to young ones. Taken together our result strongly suggest, that supplementation can be effectively used to slow cognitive decline caused by aging.