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D'Aurizio G, Di Pompeo I, Passarello N, Troisi Lopez E, Sorrentino P, Curcio G, Mandolesi L. Visuospatial working memory abilities in children analyzed by the bricks game task (BGT). PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2023; 87:2111-2119. [PMID: 36800010 PMCID: PMC9936130 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-023-01803-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
The study of the development of visuospatial memory processes is useful for devising personalized educational interventions as well as for understanding the changes in cognitive functioning in an era characterized by technological progress. The present research is aimed at investigating spatial working memory ability in children that attended the first three years of primary school by means of the Brick Game Task (BGT), a novel visuospatial working memory test. BGT is a small-scale ecological test inspired by behavioral walking tasks with nine white bricks in different spatial configurations as well as to Corsi Block-Tapping test.228 Italian children (121 F; mean age: 7.22 ± 1.18) were assigned to three groups based on the primary school class attended: Group 1 (N = 85; 40 F; mean age 6.18 ± .5), Group 2 (N = 61; 36 F; mean age 7.2 ± .83), and Group 3 (N = 82; 44 F; mean age 8.32 ± .94). All participants were asked to complete the Digit Span test, the Corsi Block-Tapping test, and to explore the three spatial configurations of the BGT with the form of Matrix, M-BGT, Cluster, CL-BGT, Cross, CR-BGT.MANOVA revealed a main significant effect for Group (F12,434 = 15.06; p < .0001) indicating that the group of older obtained a better global executive performance than 1 and 2 groups. Multiple linear regression indicated that Corsi Block-Tapping test performance and Age significantly predicted the M-BGT score. Moreover, Corsi Block-Tapping test and Digit Span significantly predicted the CL-BGT performance, showing how a higher score results in a better CL- BGT performance. Finally, Corsi Block-Tapping test, Digit Span, and Age were positively associated with the CR- BGT performance. The present findings evidenced that novel BGT is a sensible visuospatial working memory task suggesting thus its use to assess the children's executive performance in ecological way. These results open to the development of personalized educational interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- G D'Aurizio
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Via Vetoio - Loc. Coppito, 67100, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - I Di Pompeo
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Via Vetoio - Loc. Coppito, 67100, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - N Passarello
- Department of Humanities, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - E Troisi Lopez
- Department of Motor Sciences and Wellness, University of Naples "Parthenope", Naples, Italy
| | - P Sorrentino
- Institut de Neurosciences Des Systemès, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France
| | - G Curcio
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Via Vetoio - Loc. Coppito, 67100, L'Aquila, Italy.
| | - L Mandolesi
- Department of Humanities, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
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Gutiérrez-Menéndez A, Méndez M, Arias JL. Learning and metabolic brain differences between juvenile male and female rats in the execution of different training regimes of a spatial memory task. Physiol Behav 2023; 267:114203. [PMID: 37086830 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 04/24/2023]
Abstract
Spatial memory is responsible for encoding spatial information to form a path, storing this mental representation, and evaluating and recovering spatial configurations to find a target location in the environment. It is mainly supported by the hippocampus and its interaction with other structures, such as the prefrontal cortex, and emerges in rodents around postnatal day (PND) 20. Sex differences in spatial tasks have been found in adults, with a supposedly better performance in males. However, few studies have examined sex differences in orientation throughout postnatal development. This study aimed to analyse the performance of juvenile (PND 23) male (n=18) and female (n=21) Wistar rats in a spatial reference memory task in the Morris water maze (MWM) with two different training regimes in the acquisition phase, and their subjacent metabolic brain activity. Based on sex, subjects were assigned to two different groups: one that performed four learning trials per day (n=9 males and n=8 females) and the other that was submitted to two trials per day (n=9 males and n=13 females). After the behavioural protocols, metabolic activity was evaluated using cytochrome c oxidase histochemistry. Results showed no metabolic brain or behavioural differences in the four-trial protocol performance, in which both sexes reached the learning criterion on the fourth day. By contrast, the two-trial protocol revealed an advantage for females, who reached the learning criterion on day four, whereas males needed more training and succeeded on day six. The female group showed lower metabolic activity than the male group in the cingulate and prelimbic cortex. These results suggest a faster consolidation process in the female group than the male group. Further research is needed to understand sex differences in spatial memory at early stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alba Gutiérrez-Menéndez
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Plaza Feijóo, s/n, E-33003, Oviedo, Spain; Instituto de Neurociencias del Principado de Asturias (INEUROPA), Oviedo, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Oviedo, Spain.
| | - Marta Méndez
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Plaza Feijóo, s/n, E-33003, Oviedo, Spain; Instituto de Neurociencias del Principado de Asturias (INEUROPA), Oviedo, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Oviedo, Spain
| | - Jorge L Arias
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Plaza Feijóo, s/n, E-33003, Oviedo, Spain; Instituto de Neurociencias del Principado de Asturias (INEUROPA), Oviedo, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Oviedo, Spain
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3
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Zorzo C, Arias JL, Méndez M. Functional neuroanatomy of allocentric remote spatial memory in rodents. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 136:104609. [PMID: 35278596 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Revised: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Successful spatial cognition involves learning, consolidation, storage, and later retrieval of a spatial memory trace. The functional contributions of specific brain areas and their interactions during retrieval of past spatial events are unclear. This systematic review collects studies about allocentric remote spatial retrieval assessed at least two weeks post-acquisition in rodents. Results including non-invasive interventions, brain lesion and inactivation experiments, pharmacological treatments, chemical agent administration, and genetic manipulations revealed that there is a normal forgetting when time-periods are close to or exceed one month. Moreover, changes in the morphology and functionality of neocortical areas, hippocampus, and other subcortical structures, such as the thalamus, have been extensively observed as a result of spatial memory retrieval. In conclusion, apart from an increasingly neocortical recruitment in remote spatial retrieval, the hippocampus seems to participate in the retrieval of fine spatial details. These results help to better understand the timing of memory maintenance and normal forgetting, outlining the underlying brain areas implicated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Candela Zorzo
- Department of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Faculty of Psychology, Plaza Feijoo s/n, 33003 Oviedo, Asturias, Spain; Neuroscience Institute of Principado de Asturias (INEUROPA).
| | - Jorge L Arias
- Department of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Faculty of Psychology, Plaza Feijoo s/n, 33003 Oviedo, Asturias, Spain; Neuroscience Institute of Principado de Asturias (INEUROPA).
| | - Marta Méndez
- Department of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Faculty of Psychology, Plaza Feijoo s/n, 33003 Oviedo, Asturias, Spain; Neuroscience Institute of Principado de Asturias (INEUROPA).
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Brandt N, Löffler T, Fester L, Rune GM. Sex-specific features of spine densities in the hippocampus. Sci Rep 2020; 10:11405. [PMID: 32647191 PMCID: PMC7347548 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-68371-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2018] [Accepted: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Previously, we found that in dissociated hippocampal cultures the proportion of large spines (head diameter ≥ 0.6 μm) was larger in cultures from female than from male animals. In order to rule out that this result is an in vitro phenomenon, we analyzed the density of large spines in fixed hippocampal vibratome sections of Thy1-GFP mice, in which GFP is expressed only in subpopulations of neurons. We compared spine numbers of the four estrus cycle stages in females with those of male mice. Remarkably, total spine numbers did not vary during the estrus cycle, while estrus cyclicity was evident regarding the number of large spines and was highest during diestrus, when estradiol levels start to rise. The average total spine number in females was identical with the spine number in male animals. The density of large spines, however, was significantly lower in male than in female animals in each stage of the estrus cycle. Interestingly, the number of spine apparatuses, a typical feature of large spines, did not differ between the sexes. Accordingly, NMDA-R1 and NMDA-R2A/B expression were lower in the hippocampus and in postsynaptic density fractions of adult male animals than in those of female animals. This difference could already be observed at birth for NMDA-R1, but not for NMDA-R2A/B expression. In dissociated embryonic hippocampal cultures, no difference was seen after 21 days in culture, while the difference was evident in postnatal cultures. Our data indicate that hippocampal neurons are differentiated in a sex-dependent manner, this differentiation being likely to develop during the perinatal period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Brandt
- Institute of Neuroanatomy, Center for Experimental Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.,Department of Human Medicine, Division of Anatomy, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl Von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Carl-von-Ossietzky Str. 9-11, 26129, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Tobias Löffler
- Institute of Neuroanatomy, Center for Experimental Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Lars Fester
- Institute of Neuroanatomy, Center for Experimental Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.,Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg, Krankenhausstr. 9, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Gabriele M Rune
- Institute of Neuroanatomy, Center for Experimental Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.
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Liu WC, Wu CW, Fu MH, Tain YL, Liang CK, Hung CY, Chen IC, Lee YC, Wu CY, Wu KLH. Maternal high fructose-induced hippocampal neuroinflammation in the adult female offspring via PPARγ-NF-κB signaling. J Nutr Biochem 2020; 81:108378. [PMID: 32330843 DOI: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2020.108378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2019] [Revised: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The mechanisms beneath the initiation of neuroinflammation are still inconclusive. Growing evidence proposes the maternal effect on the development of neuroinflammation. In this study, we evaluated the upstream regulators and the indices of neuroinflammation in the hippocampi of female offspring at 3 months old. The accumulation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB, 65 kDa), a cytokine-encoding transcription factor, was increased in microglia. The enhanced microglial activation was detected in CA1, CA3 and dentate gyrus (DG) HFD group with upregulation of CD11b and ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1 (Iba-1). Moreover, proinflammatory cytokines (including TNFα, IL-1β and IL-6) were significantly increased in HFD group. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors γ (PPARγ) is a transcription factor involved in the suppression of NF-κB expression and in encoding endogenous antioxidants (such as catalase and glutathione peroxidases). On the contrary, the expression of nuclear PPARγ was suppressed in hippocampal neurons of the HFD group. In addition, the expressions of glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPx1) was suppressed in HFD group. Oral application with pioglitazone, a PPARγ agonist, effectively ceased the neuroinflammation and reversed the expression of antioxidants in HFD group. Together, these results for the first time demonstrated that maternal HFD triggered the waxing and waning of NF-κB and PPARγ may initiate neuroinflammation in the hippocampus of adult female offspring. Our findings further suggest that PPARγ could be the feasible targets to reprogram the hippocampal impairment induced by maternal HFD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Chung Liu
- Plastic surgery, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Republic of China; Department of Surgery, School of medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Chih-Wei Wu
- Institute for Translational Research in Biomedicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, 83301, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Mu-Hui Fu
- Department of Neurology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Republic of China
| | - You-Lin Tain
- Institute for Translational Research in Biomedicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, 83301, Taiwan, ROC; Department of Pediatrics, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Republic of China; Chang Gung University, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Chih-Kuang Liang
- Division of Neurology, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, 813, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Chun-Ying Hung
- Institute for Translational Research in Biomedicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, 83301, Taiwan, ROC
| | - I-Chun Chen
- Institute for Translational Research in Biomedicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, 83301, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Yu-Chi Lee
- Department of Neurology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Republic of China
| | - Cai-Yi Wu
- Plastic surgery, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Republic of China
| | - Kay L H Wu
- Institute for Translational Research in Biomedicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, 83301, Taiwan, ROC; Department of Senior Citizen Services, National Tainan Institute of Nursing, Tainan, Taiwan, ROC.
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6
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Liu WC, Wu CW, Hung PL, Chan JYH, Tain YL, Fu MH, Chen LW, Liang CK, Hung CY, Yu HR, Chen IC, Wu KL. Environmental Stimulation Counteracts the Suppressive Effects of Maternal High-Fructose Diet on Cell Proliferation and Neuronal Differentiation in the Dentate Gyrus of Adult Female Offspring via Histone Deacetylase 4. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17113919. [PMID: 32492926 PMCID: PMC7312637 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17113919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Revised: 05/23/2020] [Accepted: 05/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Maternal high-fructose diets (HFD) impair the learning and memory capacity of adult female offspring via histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4). Hippocampal adult neurogenesis is important for supporting the function of existing neural circuits. In this study, we investigated the effects of maternal HFD on hippocampal neural stem cell (NSC) proliferation and neuronal differentiation in adult offspring. Increased nuclear HDAC4 enzyme activity was detected in the hippocampus of HFD female offspring. The Western blot analyses indicated that the expressions of sex-determining region Y box2 (SOX2) and the transcription factor Paired Box 6 (PAX6), which are critical for the progression of NSC proliferation and differentiation, were downregulated. Concurrently, the expression of Ki67 (a cellular marker for proliferation) and doublecortin (DCX), which are related to NSC division and neuronal differentiation, was suppressed. Intracerebroventricular infusion with class II HDAC inhibitor (Mc1568, 4 weeks) led to the upregulation of these proteins. Environmental stimulation reversed the expression of Ki67 and DCX and the counts of Ki67- and DCX-positive cells in the hippocampi of HFD offspring as a result of providing the enriched housing for 4 weeks. Together, these results demonstrate that the suppressive effects of maternal HFD on hippocampal NSC proliferation and neuronal differentiation are reversibly mediated through HDAC4 and can be effectively reversed by environmental stimulation. The advantageous effects of environmental enrichment were possibly mediated by HDAC4 suppression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Chung Liu
- Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung 81362, Taiwan; (W.-C.L.); (L.-W.C.)
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Wei Wu
- Institute for Translational Research in Biomedicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung 83301, Taiwan; (C.-W.W.); (J.Y.H.C.); (Y.-L.T.); (C.-Y.H.); (I.-C.C.)
- National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung 83301, Taiwan
| | - Pi-Lien Hung
- Department of Pediatrics, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 83301, Taiwan; (P.-L.H.); (H.-R.Y.)
| | - Julie Y. H. Chan
- Institute for Translational Research in Biomedicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung 83301, Taiwan; (C.-W.W.); (J.Y.H.C.); (Y.-L.T.); (C.-Y.H.); (I.-C.C.)
| | - You-Lin Tain
- Institute for Translational Research in Biomedicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung 83301, Taiwan; (C.-W.W.); (J.Y.H.C.); (Y.-L.T.); (C.-Y.H.); (I.-C.C.)
- Department of Pediatrics, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 83301, Taiwan; (P.-L.H.); (H.-R.Y.)
- College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kaohsiung 83301, Taiwan
| | - Mu-Hui Fu
- Department of Neurology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 83301, Taiwan;
| | - Lee-Wei Chen
- Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung 81362, Taiwan; (W.-C.L.); (L.-W.C.)
| | - Chih-Kuang Liang
- Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology and Division of Neurology, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung 81362, Taiwan;
| | - Chun-Ying Hung
- Institute for Translational Research in Biomedicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung 83301, Taiwan; (C.-W.W.); (J.Y.H.C.); (Y.-L.T.); (C.-Y.H.); (I.-C.C.)
| | - Hong-Ren Yu
- Department of Pediatrics, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 83301, Taiwan; (P.-L.H.); (H.-R.Y.)
| | - I-Chun Chen
- Institute for Translational Research in Biomedicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung 83301, Taiwan; (C.-W.W.); (J.Y.H.C.); (Y.-L.T.); (C.-Y.H.); (I.-C.C.)
| | - Kay L.H. Wu
- Institute for Translational Research in Biomedicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung 83301, Taiwan; (C.-W.W.); (J.Y.H.C.); (Y.-L.T.); (C.-Y.H.); (I.-C.C.)
- Department of Senior Citizen Services, National Tainan Institute of Nursing, Tainan 700, Taiwan
- Correspondence:
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McCoy CR, Sabbagh MN, Huaman JP, Pickrell AM, Clinton SM. Oxidative metabolism alterations in the emotional brain of anxiety-prone rats. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2019; 95:109706. [PMID: 31330216 PMCID: PMC6708503 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2019.109706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Revised: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Mood disorders such as anxiety and depression are heterogeneous disorders with many sufferers unresponsive to current pharmacological treatments. Individual differences in temperament represent one factor that may underlie symptom heterogeneity, so understanding its biological underpinnings can help pave the way to personalized therapies and improved patient outcomes. The present study uses a rodent model of temperamental differences to examine whether individual differences in emotional behavior phenotypes correspond to altered limbic brain cellular metabolism, an indicator of neuronal activity. The model uses two selectively bred rat lines - high novelty responder rats (HRs) that show highly exploratory behavior in a novel environment, active coping style and resilience to chronic mild stress compared to low novelty responder rats (LRs), which are inhibited in novel environments, display passive coping style, and are susceptible to chronic stress. Utilizing transcriptome data from a prior study in adult HR/LR rats, we first show that a preponderance of genes differing in the HR vs. LR hippocampus and amygdala are involved in cellular metabolism. This led us to then ask if oxygen consumption was altered in isolated mitochondria of the hippocampus and amygdala of HR/LR rats; here we found increased oxygen consumption reserve capacity in LR amygdala. Our last experiment examined activity of cytochrome c oxidase (COX), an enzyme responsible for ATP production and correlate of metabolic activity, in several brain regions of HR/LR rats. We found that LRs displayed higher COX activity in the dentate gyrus, prefrontal cortex, and dorsal raphe compared to HRs, with no significant HR/LR difference in nuclei of the amygdala. Correlational analyses of COX activity across brain regions suggested divergent connectivity between the prefrontal cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, and dorsal raphe of HR vs. LR rats. Together these studies point to altered cellular metabolism in the limbic brain of LR/HR animals, which may reflect altered neural circuitry that drives their divergent behavioral profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Sarah M. Clinton
- Corresponding author at: Integrated Life Sciences Building (ILSB), 1981 Kraft Drive, Blacksburg, VA, , Phone: (540) 231-5946
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Sorrentino P, Lardone A, Pesoli M, Liparoti M, Montuori S, Curcio G, Sorrentino G, Mandolesi L, Foti F. The Development of Spatial Memory Analyzed by Means of Ecological Walking Task. Front Psychol 2019; 10:728. [PMID: 30984092 PMCID: PMC6450422 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2018] [Accepted: 03/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The present study is aimed at investigating the development of spatial memory in pre-school children aged 4–6 years using an ecological walking task with multiple rewards. The participants were to explore an open space in order to find nine rewards placed in buckets arranged in three spatial configurations: a Cross, a 3 × 3 Matrix, and a Cluster composed of three groups of three buckets each. Clear age-related improvements were evident in all the parameters analyzed. In fact, there was a general trend for younger children to display worse performance than the older ones. Moreover, males performed better than females in both the search efficiency and visiting all buckets. Additionally, the search efficiency proved to be a function of the difficulty of the configuration to be explored: the Matrix and Cluster configurations were easier to explore than the Cross configuration. Taken altogether, the present findings suggest that there is a general improvement in the spatial memory abilities in preschoolers and that solving an open space task could be influenced by gender. Moreover, it can be proposed that both the procedural competences and the memory load requested to explore a specific environment are determined by its specific features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierpaolo Sorrentino
- Department of Engineering, Università degli Studi di Napoli Parthenope, Naples, Italy
| | - Anna Lardone
- Department of Movement Sciences and Wellbeing, Università degli Studi di Napoli Parthenope, Naples, Italy
| | - Matteo Pesoli
- Department of Movement Sciences and Wellbeing, Università degli Studi di Napoli Parthenope, Naples, Italy
| | - Marianna Liparoti
- Department of Movement Sciences and Wellbeing, Università degli Studi di Napoli Parthenope, Naples, Italy
| | - Simone Montuori
- Department of Movement Sciences and Wellbeing, Università degli Studi di Napoli Parthenope, Naples, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Curcio
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Sorrentino
- Department of Movement Sciences and Wellbeing, Università degli Studi di Napoli Parthenope, Naples, Italy.,Istituto di Diagnosi e Cura Hermitage Capodimonte, Naples, Italy.,Institute of Applied Sciences and Intelligent Systems, CNR, Naples, Italy
| | - Laura Mandolesi
- Department of Humanistic Studies, University Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Francesca Foti
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Università degli studi Magna Græcia di Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
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Acevedo-Triana CA, Rojas MJ, Cardenas FP. Running wheel training does not change neurogenesis levels or alter working memory tasks in adult rats. PeerJ 2017; 5:e2976. [PMID: 28503368 PMCID: PMC5426350 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.2976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2016] [Accepted: 01/10/2017] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exercise can change cellular structure and connectivity (neurogenesis or synaptogenesis), causing alterations in both behavior and working memory. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of exercise on working memory and hippocampal neurogenesis in adult male Wistar rats using a T-maze test. METHODS An experimental design with two groups was developed: the experimental group (n = 12) was subject to a forced exercise program for five days, whereas the control group (n = 9) stayed in the home cage. Six to eight weeks after training, the rats' working memory was evaluated in a T-maze test and four choice days were analyzed, taking into account alternation as a working memory indicator. Hippocampal neurogenesis was evaluated by means of immunohistochemistry of BrdU positive cells. RESULTS No differences between groups were found in the behavioral variables (alternation, preference index, time of response, time of trial or feeding), or in the levels of BrdU positive cells. DISCUSSION Results suggest that although exercise may have effects on brain structure, a construct such as working memory may require more complex changes in networks or connections to demonstrate a change at behavioral level.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Manuel J. Rojas
- Animal Health Department, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
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10
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Arias N, Méndez M, Alcalde I, Íñigo-Portugués A, Merayo-Lloves J, Arias J, Arias JL. Assessing the brain through the eye: New ways to explore hepatic encephalopathy. Physiol Behav 2017; 173:263-271. [PMID: 28238775 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.02.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2016] [Revised: 02/21/2017] [Accepted: 02/21/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Minimal hepatic encephalopathy (mHE) has been shown to affect daily functioning, quality of life, driving and overall mortality. However, little is known about treating or diagnosing early impairments in mHE. We studied one of its precipitating factors, portal hypertension which is driving the inflammatory process behind mHE. The purpose was to describe an indirect diagnostic method able to detect the pathology at early stages based on the study of the vascularization and mast cells conjunctival hyperplasia as secondary inflammatory response associated to portal hypertension. Finally, we correlated the presence of histological changes in the eye in mHE with deficits in behavioral task acquisition. METHODS Rats were trained on a stimulus-response task and a spatial working memory task using the Morris water maze. Two groups of animals were used: a SHAM (sham-operated) group (n=10) and a portal hypertension (HT) group (n=10). The triple portal vein ligation method was used to create an animal model of mHE. Latencies to reach the platform, number of glial fibrillary acidic protein-immunoreactive astrocytes (GFAP-IR), mast cell expression and presence/absence of blood and lymphatic vessels were examined. RESULTS There were differences in stimulus-response behavioral performance, with a deficit in the acquisition in the HT group. However, no differences between groups were found on the spatial working memory task. At the same time, differences between groups were found in the GFAP-IR density, which was lower in the HT group, and in the number of mast cells and the presence of vessels, which were higher in the HT group. CONCLUSIONS In this study, we provide the first preliminary insight into the validity of exploring the eye as a possible tool to assess the diagnosis of mHE conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Arias
- Institute for Liver and Digestive Health, University College of London, Department of Medicine, Rowland Hill Street, London, UK; INEUROPA, Instituto de Neurociencias del Principado de Asturias, Spain.
| | - Marta Méndez
- INEUROPA, Instituto de Neurociencias del Principado de Asturias, Spain; Laboratorio de Neurociencias, Departamento de Psicología, Universidad de Oviedo, Plaza Feijoo s/n, 33003 Oviedo, Spain
| | - Ignacio Alcalde
- Fundación de Investigación Oftalmológica (FIO), Instituto Oftalmológico Fernández-Vega, Avda. Dres Fernández-Vega, 34, 33012 Oviedo, Spain
| | - Almudena Íñigo-Portugués
- Fundación de Investigación Oftalmológica (FIO), Instituto Oftalmológico Fernández-Vega, Avda. Dres Fernández-Vega, 34, 33012 Oviedo, Spain
| | - Jesús Merayo-Lloves
- Fundación de Investigación Oftalmológica (FIO), Instituto Oftalmológico Fernández-Vega, Avda. Dres Fernández-Vega, 34, 33012 Oviedo, Spain
| | - Jaime Arias
- Surgery Department, School of Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Jorge L Arias
- INEUROPA, Instituto de Neurociencias del Principado de Asturias, Spain; Laboratorio de Neurociencias, Departamento de Psicología, Universidad de Oviedo, Plaza Feijoo s/n, 33003 Oviedo, Spain
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11
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Barbie-Shoshani Y, Shoham S, Bejar C, Weinstock M. Sex-Specific Effects of Prenatal Stress on Memory and Markers of Neuronal Activity in Juvenile Rats. Dev Neurosci 2016; 38:206-219. [DOI: 10.1159/000446981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2015] [Accepted: 05/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress during pregnancy can increase the incidence of emotional problems, learning and language difficulties in human infants and pre-adolescents. Most preclinical studies in rats that attempted to find experimental support for these observations were performed in adult male offspring, but the results are inconsistent. The aim of the current study was to examine the effect of prenatal stress on novel object recognition (NOR) and spatial learning and memory in the Morris water maze (MWM) of juvenile rats of both sexes. By the use of fluorescence immunohistochemistry and protein measurements by Western blot, we measured the expression of markers of neurogenesis (doublecortin, DCX) and neuronal activity that are important for synaptic plasticity and learning (c-fos, GluR1, nNOS). Since neuronal activity in the developing and adult brain can be regulated by astrocytes, we also measured the number of astrocytes and the expression of two astroglial proteins (GFAP and S100B) in the stress-responsive hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG). Experiments were performed on littermates of rats in which its effects on behavior were measured. We found for the first time that juvenile females performed better than males in the NOR and MWM tests. They also had higher densities of DCX and c-fos in the DG, together with the expression of nNOS and GluR1 in the subgranular zone (SGZ) of the DG. There were no sex differences in the expression of GFAP and S100B in astrocytes. Prenatal stress did not affect NOR in females, but improved it in males, together with an increase in DCX+ and c-fos, the number of GFAP-expressing astrocytes and the intensity of GFAP and S100B immunofluorescence in the DG. Staining intensity of GluR1 and nNOS in the hilus and SGZ of the DG, and protein expression in the whole DG, was unchanged in prenatally stressed males. Thus, prenatal stress changed the behavior and expression of key proteins in the DG to resemble that in females. A reduction in plasma testosterone, which although not attaining statistical significance was associated with that in anogenital distance, may contribute to the effect of prenatal stress in males. In females, prenatal stress had no effect on c-fos, DCX or the number of astrocytes but reduced the staining intensity of GluR1 and nNOS. Protein expression of nNOS was also significantly lower than that in prenatally stressed males. The differential effects of prenatal stress on hippocampal neuronal and glial markers may help to explain the sex-dependent effect on spatial learning in prepubertal rats.
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12
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Keeley RJ, McDonald RJ. Part III: Principal component analysis: bridging the gap between strain, sex and drug effects. Behav Brain Res 2015; 288:153-61. [PMID: 25813745 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2015.03.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2015] [Revised: 03/08/2015] [Accepted: 03/12/2015] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Previous work has identified the adolescent period as particularly sensitive to the short- and long-term effects of marijuana and its main psychoactive component Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). However, other studies have identified certain backgrounds as more sensitive than others, including the sex of the individual or the strain of the rat used. Further, the effects of THC may be specific to certain behavioural tasks (e.g. measures of anxiety), and the consequences of THC are not seen equally across all behavioural measures. Here, data obtained from adolescent male and female Long-Evans and Wistar rats exposed to THC and tested as adults, which, using standard ANOVA testing, showed strain- and sex-specific effects of THC, was analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA). PCA allowed for the examination of the relative contribution of our variables of interest to the variance in the data obtained from multiple behavioural tasks, including the skilled reaching task, the Morris water task, the discriminative fear-conditioning to context task, the elevated plus maze task and the conditioned place preference task to a low dose of amphetamine, as well as volumetric estimates of brain volumes and cfos activation. We observed that early life experience accounted for a large proportion of variance across data sets, although its relative contribution varied across tasks. Additionally, THC accounted for a very small proportion of the variance across all behavioural tasks. We demonstrate here that by using PCA, we were able to describe the main variables of interest and demonstrate that THC exposure had a negligible effect on the variance in the data set.
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Affiliation(s)
- R J Keeley
- University of Lethbridge, 4001 University Drive, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada.
| | - R J McDonald
- University of Lethbridge, 4001 University Drive, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada
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13
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Metabolic brain activity underlying behavioral performance and spatial strategy choice in sedentary and exercised Wistar rats. Neuroscience 2014; 281:110-23. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.09.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2014] [Revised: 09/05/2014] [Accepted: 09/25/2014] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
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Sampedro-Piquero P, Zancada-Menendez C, Begega A, Rubio S, Arias J. Effects of environmental enrichment on anxiety responses, spatial memory and cytochrome c oxidase activity in adult rats. Brain Res Bull 2013; 98:1-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2013.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2013] [Revised: 06/21/2013] [Accepted: 06/22/2013] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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15
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Keeley RJ, Tyndall AV, Scott GA, Saucier DM. Sex difference in cue strategy in a modified version of the Morris water task: correlations between brain and behaviour. PLoS One 2013; 8:e69727. [PMID: 23874990 PMCID: PMC3714246 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0069727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2013] [Accepted: 06/12/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sex differences in spatial memory function have been reported with mixed results in the literature, with some studies showing male advantages and others showing no differences. When considering estrus cycle in females, results are mixed at to whether high or low circulating estradiol results in an advantage in spatial navigation tasks. Research involving humans and rodents has demonstrated males preferentially employ Euclidean strategies and utilize geometric cues in order to spatially navigate, whereas females employ landmark strategies and cues in order to spatially navigate. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS This study used the water-based snowcone maze in order to assess male and female preference for landmark or geometric cues, with specific emphasis placed on the effects of estrus cycle phase for female rat. Performance and preference for the geometric cue was examined in relation to total hippocampal and hippocampal subregions (CA1&2, CA3 and dentate gyrus) volumes and entorhinal cortex thickness in order to determine the relation between strategy and spatial performance and brain area size. The study revealed that males outperformed females overall during training trials, relied on the geometric cue when the platform was moved and showed significant correlations between entorhinal cortex thickness and spatial memory performance. No gross differences in behavioural performance was observed within females when accounting for cyclicity, and only total hippocampal volume was correlated with performance during the learning trials. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE This study demonstrates the sex-specific use of cues and brain areas in a spatial learning task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin J. Keeley
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Canada
| | | | - Gavin A. Scott
- Faculty of Science, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Oshawa, Canada
| | - Deborah M. Saucier
- Faculty of Science, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Oshawa, Canada
- * E-mail:
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Coşkun H, Karakaş A, Kaya A. The effects of the weekend phase delay like shifts on spatial learning performances of the Wistar rats: the sex and generation differences. BIOL RHYTHM RES 2012. [DOI: 10.1080/09291016.2011.632233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
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17
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Li J, Chen C, Lei X, Wang Y, Chen C, He Q, Moyzis RK, Xue G, Zhu B, Cao Z, Dong Q. The NTSR1 gene modulates the association between hippocampal structure and working memory performance. Neuroimage 2012; 75:79-86. [PMID: 23110888 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.09.077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2012] [Accepted: 09/28/2012] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The genetic and neural basis of working memory (WM) has been extensively studied. Many dopamine (DA) related genes, including the NTSR1 gene (a DA modulator gene), have been reported to be associated with WM performance. The NTSR1 protein is predominantly expressed in the cerebral cortex and the hippocampus, the latter of which is closely involved in WM processing based on both lesion and fMRI studies. Thus far, however, no study has examined the joint effects of NTSR1 gene polymorphism and hippocampal morphology on WM performance. Participants of the current study were 330 healthy Chinese college students. WM performance was measured with a 2-back WM paradigm. Structural MRI data were acquired and then analyzed using an automated procedure with atlas-based FreeSurfer segmentation software (v 4.5.0) package. Linear regression analyses were conducted with a NTSR1 C/T polymorphism which was previously reported to be associated with WM (rs4334545), hippocampal volume, and their interaction as predictors of WM performance, with gender and intracranial volume (ICV) as covariates. Results showed a significant interaction between NTSR1 genotype and hippocampal volume (p<.05 for both the left and right hippocampi). Further analysis showed that the correlation between hippocampal volume and WM scores was significant for carriers of the NTSR1 T-allele (p<.05 for both hippocampi), but not for CC homozygotes. These results indicate that the association between hippocampal structure and WM performance was modulated by variation in the NTSR1 gene, and suggest that further studies of brain-behavior associations should take genetic background information into account.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Li
- National Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, PR China
| | - Chuansheng Chen
- Department of Psychology and Social Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
| | - Xuemei Lei
- National Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, PR China; Department of Psychology and Social Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Yunxin Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, PR China
| | - Chunhui Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, PR China
| | - Qinghua He
- Brain and Creativity Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Robert K Moyzis
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Institute of Genomics and Bioinformatics, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Gui Xue
- National Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, PR China; Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Bi Zhu
- National Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, PR China
| | - Zhongyu Cao
- National Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, PR China
| | - Qi Dong
- National Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, PR China.
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Mapping patterns of depression-related brain regions with cytochrome oxidase histochemistry: Relevance of animal affective systems to human disorders, with a focus on resilience to adverse events. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2011; 35:1876-89. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2011.02.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2010] [Revised: 02/24/2011] [Accepted: 02/25/2011] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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Differential regional brain responses to induced maternal behavior in rats measured by cytochrome oxidase immunohistochemistry. Behav Brain Res 2011; 223:293-6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2011.04.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2011] [Revised: 04/26/2011] [Accepted: 04/27/2011] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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20
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Méndez-López M, Méndez M, López L, Arias JL. Memory performance and scopolamine: hypoactivity of the thalamus revealed by cytochrome oxidase histochemistry. Acta Histochem 2011; 113:465-71. [PMID: 20546863 DOI: 10.1016/j.acthis.2010.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2010] [Revised: 04/11/2010] [Accepted: 04/12/2010] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Spatial memory learning is related to the functioning of a neuronal circuit composed of cortical, hippocampal and diencephalic brain regions. The Morris water maze (MWM) is frequently used to assess spatial memory in rats. In this study, the neuronal functional activity of some brain limbic system regions after a memory task in adult male Wistar rats injected with scopolamine (1.0mg/kg, i.p.) was assessed using cytochrome oxidase (COx) histochemistry. The rats were trained following a working memory schedule in the MWM. A trained group injected with saline and an untreated control group were examined to compare changes in COx activity in the dorsal hippocampus, anterior thalamus, mammillary nuclei, prefrontal cortex and ventral tegmental area. The scopolamine-treated group showed an impairment of spatial learning. Also, a decrease in COx activity was found in this group as compared to the saline group in the anteroventral and anteromedial thalamic nuclei. Overall, these findings suggest that memory deficits induced by scopolamine may be due to impairment of the cholinergic function in the anterior thalamic nuclei.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Méndez-López
- Laboratorio de Neurociencias, Departamento de Psicología, Universidad de Oviedo, Plaza Feijoo s/n, 33003 Oviedo, Spain.
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Méndez-López M, Méndez M, Begega A, Arias JL. Spatial short-term memory in rats: Effects of learning trials on metabolic activity of limbic structures. Neurosci Lett 2010; 483:32-5. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2010.07.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2010] [Revised: 07/21/2010] [Accepted: 07/21/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Lateralized and sex-dependent behavioral and morphological effects of unilateral neonatal cerebral hypoxia-ischemia in the rat. Behav Brain Res 2010; 210:92-8. [PMID: 20156487 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2010.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2009] [Revised: 02/03/2010] [Accepted: 02/07/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Neonatal cerebral hypoxia-ischemia (HI) is an important cause of neurological deficits. The Levine-Rice model of unilateral HI is a useful experimental tool, but the resulting brain damage is mainly restricted to one hemisphere. Since the rat presents morphological and biochemical asymmetries between brain hemispheres, behavioral outcome from this model is probably dependent on which hemisphere is damaged. We here investigated the effects of sex and lesioned hemisphere on the outcome of open field, plus maze, inhibitory avoidance and water maze tasks in adult rats previously submitted to neonatal unilateral HI. Females were more active than males in some of studied parameters and males presented better spatial learning. Hypoxia-ischemia caused spatial deficits independently of sex or damaged hemisphere. Right-HI increased locomotion only in males and caused working memory in females and on aversive learning in both males and females. Morphological analysis showed that right-HI animals presented greater reduction of ipsilateral striatum area, with females being more affected. Interestingly, males showed greater hippocampal volume. These results show that task performance and cerebral damage extension are lateralized and sex-dependent, and that the right hemisphere, irrespective of sex, is more vulnerable to neonatal cerebral hypoxia-ischemia.
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Chang HM, Wu UI, Lan CT. Melatonin preserves longevity protein (sirtuin 1) expression in the hippocampus of total sleep-deprived rats. J Pineal Res 2009; 47:211-20. [PMID: 19627456 DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-079x.2009.00704.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Sleep disorders cause cognitive dysfunction in which impaired neuronal plasticity in the hippocampus may underline the molecular mechanisms of this deficiency. As sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) plays an important role in maintaining metabolic homeostasis and neuronal plasticity, this study is aimed to determine whether melatonin exerts beneficial effects on preserving SIRT1 activation following total sleep deprivation (TSD). TSD was performed by disc on water method for five consecutive days. During this period, animals daily received melatonin at doses of 5, 25, 50 or 100 mg/kg. The cytochrome oxidase (COX) histochemistry, SIRT1 immunohistochemistry together with Morris water maze learning test were performed to examine the metabolic, neurochemical, as well as the behavioral changes in neuronal plasticity, respectively. The results indicate that in normal rats, numerous COX and SIRT1 positive-labeled neurons with strong staining intensities were found in hippocampal pyramidal and granular cell layers. Following TSD, both COX and SIRT1 reactivities were drastically decreased as revealed by reduced staining pattern and labeling frequency. Behavioral data corresponded well with morphological findings in which spatial memory test in water maze was significantly impaired after TSD. However, in rats receiving different doses of melatonin, both COX and SIRT1 expressions were successfully preserved. Considerably better performance on behavioral testing further strengthened the beneficial effects of melatonin. These findings suggest that melatonin may serve as a novel therapeutic strategy directed for preventing the memory deficits resulting from TSD, possibly by effectively preserving the metabolic function and neuronal plasticity engaged in maintaining cognitive activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hung-Ming Chang
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
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Mandolesi L, Petrosini L, Menghini D, Addona F, Vicari S. Children’ s radial arm maze performance as a function of age and sex. Int J Dev Neurosci 2009; 27:789-97. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2009.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2009] [Revised: 08/03/2009] [Accepted: 08/20/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- L. Mandolesi
- IRCCS Santa Lucia FoundationRomeItaly
- University of Naples “Parthenope”Italy
| | - L. Petrosini
- IRCCS Santa Lucia FoundationRomeItaly
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of Rome “La Sapienza”Italy
| | - D. Menghini
- IRCCS, Children's Hospital “Bambino Gesù”RomeItaly
| | - F. Addona
- IRCCS, Children's Hospital “Bambino Gesù”RomeItaly
- University LUMSARomeItaly
| | - S. Vicari
- IRCCS, Children's Hospital “Bambino Gesù”RomeItaly
- University LUMSARomeItaly
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