Aged Mice Do Better on Memory Tests After Two Weeks of PQQ
Graded Preliminary — a controlled experiment in 18 old mice over 14 days, plus cell tests; with six animals per group, the results cannot be applied to people.
Animal study. Findings may not carry over to people, which is why the grade is capped at Preliminary.
- Design
- Animal study
- Participants
- 18
- Duration
- 2 weeks
- Funding
- Beijing University of Chinese Medicine; National Natural Science Foundation of…
Aged mice solved maze memory tasks better after two weeks of PQQ than mice that did not get it.
Old mice given the compound PQQ for two weeks did better on memory tests than untreated mice. PQQ, short for pyrroloquinoline quinone, is studied as a dietary supplement. The treated mice showed no signs of extra anxiety.
Researchers split 18 male mice, each 20 months old, into three groups at random. Six got a daily salt solution, six a low PQQ dose and six a high dose. In a maze with three arms, both PQQ groups switched arms more often, a sign of better short-term memory. Only the low-dose group clearly recognised new objects better. In lab-grown nerve cells, the data point to PQQ supporting the cells' power plants, the mitochondria. A protein called SIRT1, which helps run the cell's energy budget, seemed to be involved.
With six mice per group, the study is very small, and it had no young comparison group. The authors therefore describe better test performance, not a reversal of age-related decline. Mice on PQQ also moved around more, which could affect the tests. Whether PQQ has any similar effect in people was not tested.
Disclaimer: Research summaries are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your health routine.