Synergistic effects of pomegranate juice and atorvastatin for improving cerebellar structure and function of breast-feeding rats maternally fed on a high cholesterol diet

•Assessments of lepidogram of hypercholesterolemic mother rats.•Illustrate the cytotoxicity of atorvastatin on cerebellar neurons.•Illustrate the effect of hypercholesterolemic mother on the cerebellar cortex of their offspring.•Illustrate the thepeutic potential of pomegranate and/or atorvastatin. A highly cholesterol-diet is associated with atherosclerosis and little about the development of cerebellar cortex disorder. The study illustrated the changes of cerebellar cortex of rat neonate maternally fed on high cholesterol diet and the capacity of pomegranate alone or in combination with atorvastatin to improve it. Eighty-eight pregnant Wister rats were divided into eight groups (n = 11); control, pomegranate supplemented group (daily orally 0.4 mL (20 %), atorvastatin (10 mg/kg BT), hypercholesterolemia (dietary consumption 3% cholesterol for 6 weeks prior to conception and throughout gestation and lactation period), hypercholesterolemia and pomegranate or atorvastatin, hypercholesterolemia and atorvastatin and pomegranate. Dams and their offspring were sacrificed at 21 days post-partum. Sera of mother and cerebellum of offspring were investigated biochemically as well as histo-cytological changes of cerebellar cortex of offspring. Offspring maternally fed on high cholesterol diet showed damage of the cerebellar Purkinje and granular cells associated with demyelination, increased caspase 3 immunohistochemistry and increased DNA damage. These were associated with decreased brain neurotransmitters and increase apoptic markers. Dams supplemented pomegranate and/or atorvastatin improved the assayed parameters more than that of atorvastatin alone. The authors concluded that pomegranate juice contains potent antioxidant nutrients capable of reducing the cytotoxicity of hypercholesterolemia and atorvastatin, and enhancing the structure and function of the cerebellar cortex.