Learning and memory require energy-demanding cellular processes and can be
enhanced when the brain is supplemented with metabolic substrates. It was found that
neuroglial cell metabolic activity was significantly elevated when neuroglial cells
were cultured in the presence of the PHB degradation product 3HB and derivatives.
We demonstrated that the receptor for 3HB, namely, protein upregulated in macrophages
by interferon-g (PUMA-G), was expressed in brain and upregulated in mice
treated with 3HBME. We also affirmed increased expression of connexin 36
protein and phosphorylated extracellular-signal-regulated kinase 2 (ERK2) in brain
tissues following 3HBME treatment, although these differences were not statistically
significant. Mice treated with 3HBME performed significantly (p < 0.05) better
in the Morris water maze than either the negative controls (no treatment) or the
positive controls (acetyl-l-carnitine treatment). Moreover, 3HBME was observed to