Consuming too much salt can affect more than blood pressure. Growing evidence suggests that excessive salt intake may also interfere with memory, thinking, and emotional well-being. High salt (HS) consumption is already a major public health concern because of its connection to hypertension, but its potential effects on the brain make finding ways to reduce the damage even more important.
Researchers in Japan have identified a promising possibility in LPC70, a compound derived from soy. Previous research found that this ingredient could reduce high blood pressure and cognitive problems associated with a high-salt diet (HSD) in mice. The latest study takes a closer look at how it works, revealing that the compound influences important chemical signals in the brain and kidneys.
How a Soy Compound May Counter the Effects of Excess Salt
The research centers on prostaglandins (PGs), signaling molecules made from a fatty acid called arachidonic acid (AA). These substances act much like local hormones, helping regulate essential functions throughout the body.
In the cardiovascular system, prostaglandins help control blood pressure by balancing the widening and narrowing of blood vessels. Their effects in the brain are more complicated. Depending on which receptors they activate, they can trigger signals that either protect nerve cells or contribute to harmful processes, potentially affecting memory, thinking, and emotional responses.
LPC70 is a form of soy lysolecithin in which lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) accounts for more than 70% of the phospholipids. Although earlier experiments showed that LPC70 could ease salt-related hypertension and cognitive difficulties, scientists had not fully understood the mechanisms responsible, particularly its influence on prostaglandin signaling.
To investigate, a research team led by Professor Akihiro Mouri and Dr. Hisayoshi Kubota, working with Dr. Kazuhiro Kagotani, examined how LPC70 affected these signaling pathways in mice consuming a high-salt diet.
Dr. Kubota, the study’s first author, played a central role in the experiments. He assessed blood pressure, monitored behavioral changes, and analyzed molecular activity associated with prostaglandins. His work helped clarify how LPC70 produces different effects in the organs involved in salt-related cardiovascular and cognitive problems.
Prof. Mouri and Dr. Kubota are affiliated with the Department of Regulatory Science for Evaluation and Development of Pharmaceuticals & Devices at Fujita Health University Graduate School of Medical Science, as well as the International Center for Brain Science (ICBS) at Fujita Health University in Japan. Dr. Kagotani is affiliated with Tsuji Oil Mills Co., Ltd, in Japan and the Tsuji Health and Beauty Science Laboratory at Mie University, Japan.
