Lactobacillus johnsonii CJLJ103 Attenuates Scopolamine-Induced Memory Impairment in Mice by Increasing BDNF Expression and Inhibiting NF-κB Activation

In the present study, we examined whether Lactobacillus johnsonii CJLJ103 (LJ) could alleviate cholinergic memory impairment in mice. Oral administration of LJ alleviated scopolamine-induced memory impairment in passive avoidance and Y-maze tasks. Furthermore, LJ treatment increased scopolamine-suppressed BDNF expression and CREB phosphorylation in the hippocampi of the brain, as well as suppressed $TNF-{\alpha}$ expression and $NF-{\kappa}B$ activation. LJ also increased BDNF expression in corticosterone-stimulated SH-SY5Y cells and inhibited $NF-{\kappa}B$ activation in LPS-stimulated microglial BV2 cells. However, LJ did not inhibit acetylcholinesterase activity. These findings suggest that LJ, a member of human gut microbiota, may mitigate cholinergic memory impairment by increasing BDNF expression and inhibiting $NF-{\kappa}B$ activation.