#ENERGY MONSTER DRINK FREE#

The age of mice and the study duration were determined based on previous studies where dietary intervention and cerebrovascular integrity were investigated ( 7, 26). The drink groups were given either Mother TM energy drink (ED), sugar-free Mother TM (sfED), or Coca-Cola TM carbonated soft drink (SD) all diluted to 30% (v/v) in water. After 1 week of acclimatization period, mice were randomly assigned to one of 4 drink intervention groups ( n = 10 per group) for 13 weeks, each given a unique drink intervention. Wild-type C57BL/6J male mice were purchased at 5 weeks of age from the Animal Resources Center (WA, Australia). The putative effects of Mother TM, Sugar-free Mother TM, and Coca-Cola TM (which lacks taurine, B-group vitamins and has substantially less caffeine) were studied in the context of neurovascular integrity and neuroinflammation. To gain better insight into the potential effects of energy drinks on BBB integrity, in this pilot study, genetically unmanipulated wild-type mice were chronically provided with diluted energy drinks as their sole drinking solution. Chronic consumption of sugar-formulated energy drinks may also have secondary indirect neurovascular effects, exacerbating hyperglycaemia, insulin resistance ( 18– 22) and neurovascular integrity and neuroinflammation ( 23– 25). Evidence consistent with the latter are findings that energy drinks can have acute hypertensive effects on blood pressure, but paradoxically, hypotensive effects with chronic ingestion ( 11– 17). Due to their complex formulations, both negative and positive effects on BBB integrity may be realized with regular, significant consumption of energy drinks. Recent population studies report significantly accelerating ingestion trends of energy drinks, particularly in young adults ( 10). The primary ingredients with popular energy drinks such as Red Bull TM, Mother TM, and Monster TM include caffeine/guarana, remarkable abundance of taurine (~2,000 mg per serving), B6/B12 vitamins (1.0 mg/0.5 μg per serving, respectively), and in sugar-formulated energy drinks (~51 g sucrose per serving). Indeed, BBB dysfunction is commonly observed in various neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and multiple sclerosis, suggesting a causal association ( 5– 8).Įnergy drinks are highly caffeinated, carbonated beverages first marketed in Europe and Asia in the 1960's ( 9). Chronically exaggerated astrocytosis and microgliosis lead to heightened oxidative stress, which consequently promotes degeneration of neurons ( 4). A disruption in BBB integrity permits the cerebral extravasation of plasma-borne molecules, which may activate astrocytes and microglia and promote neuroinflammation ( 3). Its function is to serve as a selectively permeable barrier for brain parenchyme ( 2) and this is achieved ordinarily through highly regulated expression of endothelial tight junctions within the paracellular spaces. The blood-brain barrier (BBB) describes the anatomical structure which surrounds the endothelial cells of cerebral capillaries ( 1).

#ENERGY MONSTER DRINK FREE#

The intake of energy drink, particularly the sugar free formulation, may compromise the integrity of BBB and induce neuroinflammation via hypotension, hyperglycaemia and inflammatory pathways. Correlation analyses showed significant associations between BBB dysfunction and hypotension, hyperglycaemia and cytokine dyshomeostasis. The consumption of ED and sfED significantly altered the blood pressure and plasma concentrations of inflammatory cytokines, TNF-a, IL-4, IL-6, and IL-10, and both increased plasma glucose. However, marked neuroinflammation was observed only in sfED group mice. Following 13 weeks of intervention, mice treated with ED, sfED, and SD showed significant disruption of BBB. Blood pressure, plasma inflammatory cytokine levels and blood glucose were also considered. The BBB integrity and neuroinflammation were analyzed with semi-quantitative immunofluorescent microscopy. Male C57BL/6J mice were maintained on water (control), Mother TM (ED), sugar-free Mother TM (sfED), or Coca Cola TM soft drink (SD) for 13 weeks. This study investigated the effects of chronic ingestion of energy drinks on blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity and neuroinflammation. Chronic ingestion of energy drinks may potentially regulate vascular risk factors. 3School of Population Health, Faculty of Health Science, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, AustraliaĮnergy drinks containing significant quantities of caffeine and sugar are increasingly consumed, particularly by adolescents and young adults.2Curtin Medical School, Faculty of Health Science, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia.1Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia.Liam Graneri 1,2 Virginie Lam 1,3 Zachary D'Alonzo 1,2 Michael Nesbit 1,2 John C.

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