Protein malnutrition (PMN) is a global health issue but most prevalent in Africa and Asia. It exerts detrimental effect on structural and physiological aspects of hippocampal circuitry. Despite accumulating evidence for PMN induced changes in nervous system, relatively very little is known about how maternal nutritional supplementation during malnutrition affects glial cells and neurons. Herein, we aimed to investigate the effects of maternal Spirulina supplementation against PMN induced oxidative stress, reactive gliosis and neuronal damage in hippocampus of F1 progeny. Three months old healthy Sprague Dawley females (n = 24) were shifted to normoprotein (NC; 20% protein) and low protein (LP; 8% protein) diets 15 days before conception. The NC and LP group females were subdivided into two groups according to Spirulina supplementation (400 mg/kg/b.wt. orally throughout gestation and lactation period): normal control with Spirulina (NC SPI) and low protein with Spirulina supplemented group (LP SPI). F1 progeny born were used in present study. Thus, building on earlier results of ameliorated neurobehavioral and cognitive abilities in Spirulina supplemented protein deprived rats, the present study incorporates neurochemical and morphometric analysis of glial cells and neurons and revealed that maternal Spirulina consumption partially prevented the PMN associated neuropathological alterations in terms of attenuated oxidative brain damage, reduced reactive gliosis and apoptotic cell population, improved dendritic branch complexity with few damaged neurons and enhanced mushroom shaped spine density. The results suggest that cellular changes in hippocampus after PMN are partially restored after maternal Spirulina supplementation and one could envision intervention approaches using Spirulina against malnutrition.

蛋白质营养不良 (PMN) 是一个全球性的健康问题，但在非洲和亚洲最为普遍。它对海马回路的结构和生理方面产生不利影响。尽管有越来越多的证据表明 PMN 会引起神经系统的变化，但关于营养不良期间母体营养补充如何影响神经胶质细胞和神经元的知识相对很少。在此，我们旨在研究母体螺旋藻补充剂对 F1 后代海马中 PMN 诱导的氧化应激、反应性神经胶质增生和神经元损伤的影响。三个月大的健康 Sprague Dawley 雌性（n = 24）在受孕前 15 天转为正常蛋白质（NC；20% 蛋白质）和低蛋白质（LP；8% 蛋白质）饮食。NC组和LP组雌性根据螺旋藻补充量（400mg/kg/b）分为两组。重量 整个妊娠期和哺乳期口服）：螺旋藻正常对照（NC SPI）和低蛋白螺旋藻补充组（LP SPI）。在本研究中使用出生的 F1 后代。因此，基于螺旋藻补充蛋白质剥夺大鼠的神经行为和认知能力改善的早期结果，本研究结合了神经胶质细胞和神经元的神经化学和形态测量分析，并揭示了母体螺旋藻消耗在减弱氧化作用方面部分阻止了与 PMN 相关的神经病理学改变。脑损伤，减少反应性神经胶质增生和凋亡细胞群，改善树突分支的复杂性，几乎没有受损的神经元，并增强了蘑菇形脊柱密度。