清华大学医学院学习与记忆研究中心主任刘国松教授领导的科研小组近日研发出一种新型镁化合物，通过口服该化合物可有效提高鼠大脑内镁离子水平并显著增强年轻及老年大鼠的学习与记忆能力。
他们首次揭示了镁离子作为一种细胞内含量最高的二价金属离子对维持大脑学习与记忆功能的重要调节作用，并提示补充镁离子可能成为预防和治疗脑衰老疾病的重要途径。该研究结果在2010年1月28日出版的世界神经科学领域一流学术期刊《神经元》上发表。
据介绍，正常情况下，人体内的镁离子可以通过食物摄取获得，许多天然食物，如南瓜子、海带、菠菜、坚果等都富含镁离子。然而，随着工业化的进程，食物的精细加工导致食物中的镁含量下降，以及饮食结构的变化导致老年人镁摄入不足。该研究提示镁摄入不足可能是导致人类大脑学习记忆功能下降的重要因素。
原始出处：
Neuron, Volume 65, Issue 2, 165-177, 28 January 2010
Enhancement of Learning and Memory by Elevating Brain Magnesium
Inna Slutsky, Nashat Abumaria, Long-Jun Wu, Chao Huang, Ling Zhang, Bo Li, Xiang Zhao, Arvind Govindarajan, Ming-Gao Zhao, Min Zhuo, Susumu Tonegawa, Guosong Liu
Learning and memory are fundamental brain functions affected by dietary and environmental factors. Here, we show that increasing brain magnesium using a newly developed magnesium compound (magnesium-L-threonate, MgT) leads to the enhancement of learning abilities, working memory, and short- and long-term memory in rats. The pattern completion ability was also improved in aged rats. MgT-treated rats had higher density of synaptophysin-/synaptobrevin-positive puncta in DG and CA1 subregions of hippocampus that were correlated with memory improvement. Functionally, magnesium increased the number of functional presynaptic release sites, while it reduced their release probability. The resultant synaptic reconfiguration enabled selective enhancement of synaptic transmission for burst inputs. Coupled with concurrent upregulation of NR2B-containing NMDA receptors and its downstream signaling, synaptic plasticity induced by correlated inputs was enhanced. Our findings suggest that an increase in brain magnesium enhances both short-term synaptic facilitation and long-term potentiation and improves learning and memory functions.
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