1
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Zorzo C, Arias JL, Méndez M. Are there sex differences in spatial reference memory in the Morris water maze? A large-sample experimental study. Learn Behav 2024; 52:179-190. [PMID: 37723403 PMCID: PMC11186955 DOI: 10.3758/s13420-023-00598-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
Sex differences have been found in allocentric spatial learning and memory tasks, with the literature indicating that males outperform females, although this issue is still controversial. This study aimed to explore the behavior of male and female rats during the habituation and learning of a spatial memory task performed in the Morris Water Maze (MWM). The study included a large sample of 89 males and 85 females. We found that females searched slightly faster than males during habituation with a visible platform. During learning, both male and female rats decreased the latency and distance traveled to find the hidden platform over the days, with males outperforming females in the distance traveled. Females swam faster but did not find the platform earlier, suggesting a less directed navigational strategy. Both sexes increased time spent in the target zone over the days, with no sex differences. Although females swam more in the periphery during the first days of the task, both sexes decreased the time spent in this area. Finally, only males increased swimming in the pool's center over the days, spending more time than females in this area across the entire training. In conclusion, we need to register several variables in the MWM and analyze path strategies to obtain more robust results concerning sex differences. Research on spatial learning should include both sexes to achieve a more equitable, representative, and translational science.
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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.
- Instituo de Neurociencias del Principado de Asturias (INEUROPA), Faculty of Psychology, Plaza Feijoo s/n, 33003, Oviedo, Asturias, Spain.
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Av. del Hospital Universitario, s/n, 33011, Oviedo, Asturias, Spain.
| | - Jorge L Arias
- Department of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Faculty of Psychology, Plaza Feijoo s/n, 33003, Oviedo, Asturias, Spain
- Instituo de Neurociencias del Principado de Asturias (INEUROPA), Faculty of Psychology, Plaza Feijoo s/n, 33003, Oviedo, Asturias, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Av. del Hospital Universitario, s/n, 33011, Oviedo, Asturias, Spain
| | - Marta Méndez
- Department of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Faculty of Psychology, Plaza Feijoo s/n, 33003, Oviedo, Asturias, Spain
- Instituo de Neurociencias del Principado de Asturias (INEUROPA), Faculty of Psychology, Plaza Feijoo s/n, 33003, Oviedo, Asturias, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Av. del Hospital Universitario, s/n, 33011, Oviedo, Asturias, Spain
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2
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Liu J, Zaidi A, Pike CJ. Microglia/macrophage-specific deletion of TLR-4 protects against neural effects of diet-induced obesity. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.13.580189. [PMID: 38405877 PMCID: PMC10888944 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.13.580189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Obesity is associated with numerous adverse neural effects, including reduced neurogenesis, cognitive impairment, and increased risks for developing Alzheimer's disease (AD) and vascular dementia. Obesity is also characterized by chronic, low-grade inflammation that is implicated in mediating negative consequences body-wide. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling from peripheral macrophages is implicated as an essential regulator of the systemic inflammatory effects of obesity. In the brain, obesity drives chronic neuroinflammation that involves microglial activation, however the contributions of microglia-derived TLR4 signaling to the consequences of obesity are poorly understood. To investigate this issue, we first generated mice that carry an inducible, microglia/macrophage-specific deletion of TLR4 that yields long-term TLR4 knockout only in brain indicating microglial specificity. Next, we analyzed the effects of microglial TLR4 deletion on systemic and neural effects of a 16-week of exposure to control versus obesogenic high-fat diets. In male mice, TLR4 deletion generally yielded limited effects on diet-induced systemic metabolic dysfunction but significantly reduced neuroinflammation and impairments in neurogenesis and cognitive performance. In female mice maintained on obesogenic diet, TLR4 deletion partially protected against weight gain, adiposity, and metabolic impairments. Compared to males, females showed milder diet-induced neural consequences, against which TLR4 deletion was protective. Collectively, these findings demonstrate a central role of microglial TLR4 signaling in mediating the neural effects of obesogenic diet and highlight sexual dimorphic responses to both diet and TLR4.
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3
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Faraji J, Ambeskovic M, Sauter N, Toly J, Whitten K, Lopes NA, Olson DM, Metz GAS. Sex-specific stress and biobehavioral responses to human experimenters in rats. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:965500. [PMID: 35937894 PMCID: PMC9354940 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.965500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Important factors influencing the outcome of animal experiments in preclinical research are often overlooked. In the current study, the reaction of female and male rats toward the biological sex of a human experimenter was investigated in terms of anxiety-like behaviors and physiological stress responses, as measured by infrared (IR) thermography, circulating corticosterone (CORT) and oxytocin levels. Female rats displayed consistently exacerbated anxiety-related behaviors along with elevated body surface temperature during repeated exposure to male experimenters. Experimental stress further intensified thermal responses to a male experimenter, especially in female rats. The behavioral responses to a male experimenter in females were associated with higher circulating CORT and lower oxytocin levels. Similar responses were induced by a T-shirt worn by a human male. The findings suggest that psychophysiological responses of female rats to a male experimenter are influenced by both visual and olfactory cues. The results emphasize the need to not only consider sex differences in experimental animals, but also standardize and report the experimenter’s biological sex to avoid ambiguity in the generation and interpretation of results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamshid Faraji
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
- *Correspondence: Jamshid Faraji,
| | - Mirela Ambeskovic
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Nevyn Sauter
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Jaxson Toly
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Kera Whitten
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Nayara Antunes Lopes
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - David M. Olson
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Gerlinde A. S. Metz
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- Southern Alberta Genome Sciences Centre, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
- Gerlinde A. S. Metz,
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4
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Hagbi Z, Segev E, Eilam D. Keep a level head to know the way ahead: How rodents travel on inclined surfaces? iScience 2022; 25:104424. [PMID: 35663016 PMCID: PMC9157226 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals traveling on a horizontal surface stabilize their head in relation to the substrate in order to gather spatial information and orient. What, however, do they do when traveling on an incline? We examined how three rodent species differing in motor abilities and habitats explore a platform tilted at 0–90°, hypothesizing that they would attempt to maintain bilateral vestibular cues. We found that traveling up or down was mainly straight vertically rather than diagonally, which results in identical bilateral vestibular cues. This was also achieved when traveling horizontally through rotating the head to parallel the horizontal plane. Traveling diagonally up or down was avoided, perhaps due to different bilateral vestibular cues that could hinder orientation. Accordingly, we suggest that maintaining identical bilateral cues is an orientational necessity that overrides differences in motor abilities and habitats, and that this necessity is a general characteristic of animals in motion. Three rodent species were tested on a platform inclined at 0°–90° Increased inclination results in traveling straight vertically or horizontally Both these shapes of trajectories feature a horizontal leveled head We suggest that such posture is required for spatial orientation when in motion
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Affiliation(s)
- Zohar Hagbi
- School of Zoology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Israel
| | - Elad Segev
- Department of Applied Mathematics, Holon Institute of Technology, Holon, Israel
| | - David Eilam
- School of Zoology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Israel
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5
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Lee JQ, McHugh R, Morgan E, Sutherland RJ, McDonald RJ. Behaviour-driven Arc expression is greater in dorsal than ventral CA1 regardless of task or sex differences. Behav Brain Res 2022; 423:113790. [PMID: 35149121 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.113790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Evidence from genetic, behavioural, anatomical, and physiological study suggests that the hippocampus functionally differs across its longitudinal (dorsoventral or septotemporal) axis. Although, how to best characterize functional and representational differences in the hippocampus across its long axis remains unclear. While some suggest that the hippocampus can be divided into dorsal and ventral subregions that support distinct cognitive functions, others posit that these regions vary in their granularity of representation, wherein spatial-temporal resolution decreases in the ventral (temporal) direction. Importantly, the cognitive and granular hypotheses also make distinct predictions on cellular recruitment dynamics under conditions when animals perform tasks with qualitatively different cognitive-behavioural demands. One interpretation of the cognitive function account implies that dorsal and ventral cellular recruitment differs depending on relevant behavioural demands, while the granularity account suggests similar recruitment dynamics regardless of the nature of the task performed. Here, we quantified cellular recruitment with the immediate early gene (IEG) Arc across the entire longitudinal CA1 axis in female and male rats performing spatial- and fear-guided memory tasks. Our results show that recruitment is greater in dorsal than ventral CA1 regardless of task or sex, and thus support a granular view of hippocampal function across the long axis. We further discuss how future experiments might determine the relative contributions of cognitive function and granularity of representation to neuronal activity dynamics in hippocampal circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Quinn Lee
- Department of Neuroscience, Science Commons, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, AB T1K 6T5, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Hospital Research Centre, McGill University, 6875 Boulevard LaSalle, Verdun, QC H4H 1R3, Canada.
| | - Rebecca McHugh
- Department of Neuroscience, Science Commons, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, AB T1K 6T5, Canada
| | - Erik Morgan
- Department of Neuroscience, Science Commons, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, AB T1K 6T5, Canada
| | - Robert J Sutherland
- Department of Neuroscience, Science Commons, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, AB T1K 6T5, Canada
| | - Robert J McDonald
- Department of Neuroscience, Science Commons, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, AB T1K 6T5, Canada
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6
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Environmental determinants of behavioural responses to short-term stress in rats: Evidence for inhibitory effect of ambient landmarks. Behav Brain Res 2020; 379:112332. [PMID: 31678423 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.112332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2019] [Revised: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 10/25/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Behavioural responses to stress occur in an environment-dependent manner. Complex environments require flexible behavioural coping strategies and chronic stress usually generates psychomotor inhibition. Here, we examine if short-term stress also exerts an inhibitory effect on novelty-seeking, exploratory behaviours. Rats underwent acute restraint stress or were left undisturbed, and their neuroendocrine and behavioural responses were assessed at short- and long-term time points. Animals were individually tested in the open field task (OFT) and the corridor field task (CFT) with and without a central object for free exploration and novelty seeking behaviour. Stress-related psychomotor alterations were measured by path speed, path length, number of stops and thigmotaxis in both tasks. Short-term stress activated the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis causing elevated plasma corticosterone levels. Stress also impacted psychomotor functions in terms of motivational changes (higher speed and longer path) only in the central-object variations of the OFT and CFT. Moreover, stress-induced emotional alterations were manifested by a higher number of stops and thigmotactic behaviour only in the central-object condition. These findings suggest that environmental landmarks determine the type and direction of exploratory behaviour under transient stress.
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7
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McCreary JK, Erickson ZT, Paxman E, Kiss D, Montina T, Olson DM, Metz GAS. The rat cumulative allostatic load measure (rCALM): a new translational assessment of the burden of stress. ENVIRONMENTAL EPIGENETICS 2019; 5:dvz005. [PMID: 31065381 PMCID: PMC6500369 DOI: 10.1093/eep/dvz005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 03/25/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Determinants of lifetime health are complex and emphasize the need for robust predictors of disease risk. Allostatic load (AL) has become a clinical framework to estimate the cumulative biological burden associated with chronic stress. To assist knowledge translation in the developmental origins of health and disease field, clinically valid methods for reliable AL assessment in experimental models are urgently needed. Here, we introduce the rat cumulative allostatic load measure (rCALM), as a new preclinical knowledge translation tool to assess the burden of chronic stress. First, we identified an array of stress-associated physiological markers that are particularly sensitive to hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysregulation by ancestral prenatal stress. Second, we determined which of these markers are susceptible to an intervention by environmental enrichment (EE) to mitigate AL. The markers most responsive to stress and EE therapy were assembled to become operationalized in the rCALM. Third, the new rCALM was validated for the ability to indicate future disease risks. The results show that the rCALM estimates the burden of chronic stress and serves as a proxy to estimate stress resilience and vulnerability to disease. Using the rCALM we showed that enrichment therapy can offset the adverse health outcomes linked to a high AL. Thus, the rCALM provides a model for the development of new test strategies that facilitate knowledge translation in preclinical animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Keiko McCreary
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - Zachary T Erickson
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - Eric Paxman
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - Douglas Kiss
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - Tony Montina
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - David M Olson
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pediatrics and Physiology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Gerlinde A S Metz
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pediatrics and Physiology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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8
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Buckley MG, Bast T. A new human delayed-matching-to-place test in a virtual environment reverse-translated from the rodent watermaze paradigm: Characterization of performance measures and sex differences. Hippocampus 2018; 28:796-812. [PMID: 30451330 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.22992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2017] [Revised: 03/14/2018] [Accepted: 05/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Watermaze tests of place learning and memory in rodents and corresponding reverse-translated human paradigms in real or virtual environments are key tools to study hippocampal function. In common variants, the animal or human participant has to find a hidden goal that remains in the same place over many trials, allowing for incremental learning of the place with reference to distal cues surrounding the circular, featureless maze. Although the hippocampus is involved in incremental place learning, rodent studies have shown that the delayed-matching-to-place (DMP) watermaze test is a more sensitive assay of hippocampal function. On the DMP test, the goal location changes every four trials, requiring the rapid updating of place memory. Here, we developed a virtual DMP test reverse-translated from the rat watermaze DMP paradigm. In two replications, participants showed 1-trial place learning, evidenced by marked latency and path length savings between Trials 1 and 2 to the same goal location, and by search preference for the vicinity of the goal when Trial 2 was run as probe trial (during which the goal was removed). The performance was remarkably similar to rats' performance on the watermaze DMP test. In both replications, male participants showed greater savings and search preferences compared to female participants. Male participants also showed better mental rotation performance, although mental rotation scores did not consistently correlate with DMP performance measures, pointing to distinct neurocognitive mechanisms. The remarkable similarity between rodent and human DMP performance suggests similar underlying neuro-psychological mechanisms, including hippocampus dependence. The new virtual DMP test may, therefore, provide a sensitive tool to probe human hippocampal function.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tobias Bast
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience@Nottingham, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
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9
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Non-diagnostic symptoms in a mouse model of autism in relation to neuroanatomy: the BTBR strain reinvestigated. Transl Psychiatry 2018; 8:234. [PMID: 30367028 PMCID: PMC6203744 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-018-0280-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2018] [Revised: 08/02/2018] [Accepted: 08/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Several mouse models of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), including the BTBR T + tf/J (BTBR) inbred strain, display a diverse array of behavioral deficits with particular face validity. Here we propose that phenotyping these preclinical models of ASD should avoid excessive reliance on appearance validity of the behavioral observations. BTBR mice were examined in three non-diagnostic symptoms modalities, beside an anatomical investigation for construct validity. The BTBR strain displayed poor sensorimotor integration as reflected by shorter stride length and greater latency on the balance beam task (BBT) when compared with C57BL/6 (B6) controls. Also, locomotor indices in the open-field task (OFT) revealed that BTBR mice traveled longer distances with a remarkably faster exploration than the B6 group in favor of hyperactivity and impulsiveness. Furthermore, analysis of spatial performance including search strategies in the Morris water task (MWT) indicated spatial impairment in the BTBR strain due to failure to employ spatial strategies during navigation. Quantitative cytoarchitectonics and volumetric examinations also indicated abnormal cortical and subcortical morphology in the BTBR mice. The results are discussed in relation to the neuroanatomical correlates of motor and cognitive impairments in the BTBR strain. We conclude that non-diagnostic autistic-like symptoms in the BTBR mouse strain can be impacted by autism risk factors in a similar way than the traditional diagnostic signs.
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10
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Ghorbanian D, Gol M, Pourghasem M, Faraji J, Pourghasem K, Soltanpour N. Spatial Memory and Antioxidant Protective Effects of Raisin (Currant) in Aged Rats. Prev Nutr Food Sci 2018; 23:196-205. [PMID: 30386747 PMCID: PMC6195892 DOI: 10.3746/pnf.2018.23.3.196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2018] [Accepted: 07/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Diets rich in fruits and vegetables can prevent age-related diseases. This research was conducted to evaluate the effects of raisin consumption on the spatial memory and morphometric parameters of brain tissue in aging rats. Old rats (20 months of age) were divided into 2 groups: control and raisin, with 6 rats in each group. The raisin group received 6 g of raisins daily in addition to their food and water for 90 days. After treatments, all animals were evaluated by behavioral tests to assess spatial memory and learning alongside other tests including the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), malondialdehyde, and histological examinations. The results showed that there are significant differences in the Morris water task and passive avoidance learning of behavioral tests and biochemical tests (FRAP and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances) between the two groups. The histological study indicated that the cell count of the hippocampus, the diameter of the lateral ventricle, and area of the corpus callosum in the raisin group changed in comparison with the control group but they were not significant. The results demonstrated that raisins significantly raise antioxidant levels in blood and promotes cognitive and motor performance in aging rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davoud Ghorbanian
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center (CMBRC), Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol 47176-47745, Islamic Republic of Iran.,Department of Anatomical Sciences, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol 47176-47745, Islamic Republic of Iran
| | - Mohammed Gol
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center (CMBRC), Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol 47176-47745, Islamic Republic of Iran.,Department of Anatomical Sciences, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol 47176-47745, Islamic Republic of Iran
| | - Mohsen Pourghasem
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center (CMBRC), Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol 47176-47745, Islamic Republic of Iran.,Department of Anatomical Sciences, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol 47176-47745, Islamic Republic of Iran
| | - Jamshid Faraji
- Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada
| | - Kaveh Pourghasem
- Department of Medical Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Nabiollah Soltanpour
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center (CMBRC), Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol 47176-47745, Islamic Republic of Iran.,Department of Anatomical Sciences, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol 47176-47745, Islamic Republic of Iran
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11
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Gol M, Ghorbanian D, Soltanpour N, Faraji J, Pourghasem M. Protective effect of raisin (currant) against spatial memory impairment and oxidative stress in Alzheimer disease model. Nutr Neurosci 2017; 22:110-118. [DOI: 10.1080/1028415x.2017.1354959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Gol
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center, (CMBRC) Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
- Department of Human Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Davoud Ghorbanian
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center, (CMBRC) Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
- Department of Human Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Nabiollah Soltanpour
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center, (CMBRC) Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
- Department of Human Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Jamshid Faraji
- Canadian Centre for Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada
- Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
| | - Mohsen Pourghasem
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center, (CMBRC) Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
- Department of Human Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
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12
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Roelofs S, Nordquist RE, van der Staay FJ. Female and male pigs’ performance in a spatial holeboard and judgment bias task. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2017.01.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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13
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Ran Y, Yan B, Li Z, Ding Y, Shi Y, Le G. Dityrosine administration induces novel object recognition deficits in young adulthood mice. Physiol Behav 2016; 164:292-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2016.06.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2016] [Revised: 05/15/2016] [Accepted: 06/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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14
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Faraji J, Soltanpour N, Moeeini R, Hosseini SA, Pakdel S, Moharrerie A, Arjang K, Soltanpour N, Metz GA. Regional vulnerability of the hippocampus to repeated motor activity deprivation. Behav Brain Res 2016; 301:178-89. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2015.12.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2015] [Revised: 11/11/2015] [Accepted: 12/18/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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15
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Locklear MN, Cohen AB, Jone A, Kritzer MF. Sex Differences Distinguish Intracortical Glutamate Receptor-Mediated Regulation of Extracellular Dopamine Levels in the Prefrontal Cortex of Adult Rats. Cereb Cortex 2016; 26:599-610. [PMID: 25260707 PMCID: PMC4712796 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhu222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Executive functions of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) are sensitive to local dopamine (DA) levels. Although sex differences distinguish these functions and their dysfunction in disease, the basis for this is unknown. We asked whether sex differences might result from dimorphisms in the glutamatergic mechanisms that regulate PFC DA levels. Using antagonists selective for α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) and N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, we compared drug effects on in vivo microdialysis DA measurements in the PFC of adult male and female rats. We found that baseline DA levels were similar across sex, AMPA antagonism decreased PFC DA in both sexes, and NMDA antagonism increased DA in males but decreased DA in females. We also found that, at subseizure-producing drug levels, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-A antagonism did not affect DA in either sex but that GABA-B antagonism transiently increased PFC DA in both sexes, albeit more so in females. Finally, when NMDA antagonism was coincident with GABA-B antagonism, PFC DA levels in males responded as if to GABA-B antagonism alone, whereas in females, DA effects mirrored those induced by NMDA antagonism. Taken together, these data suggest commonalities and fundamental differences in the intracortical amino acid transmitter mechanisms that regulate DA homeostasis in the male and female rat PFCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- M N Locklear
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-5230, USA
| | - A B Cohen
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-5230, USA
| | - A Jone
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-5230, USA
| | - M F Kritzer
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-5230, USA
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Köppen JR, Blankenship PA, Blackwell AA, Winter SS, Stuebing SS, Matuszewich L, Wallace DG. Comparison of direction and distance estimation across spatial tasks: Absence of sexually dimorphic self-movement cues processing. LEARNING AND MOTIVATION 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lmot.2015.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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17
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Sex-specific alterations in behavioral and cognitive functions in a “three hit” animal model of schizophrenia. Behav Brain Res 2015; 284:85-93. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2015.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2015] [Revised: 02/04/2015] [Accepted: 02/06/2015] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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18
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Henrich-Noack P. Please keep calm: investigating hippocampal function without stress. Front Behav Neurosci 2014; 8:356. [PMID: 25352795 PMCID: PMC4195314 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2014] [Accepted: 09/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Petra Henrich-Noack
- Neurobiology Group, Institute of Medical Psychology, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg Magdeburg, Germany
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19
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Faraji J, Soltanpour N, Moeeini R, Roudaki S, Soltanpour N, Abdollahi AA, Metz GAS. Topographical disorientation after ischemic mini infarct in the dorsal hippocampus: whispers in silence. Front Behav Neurosci 2014; 8:261. [PMID: 25136299 PMCID: PMC4120695 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2014] [Accepted: 07/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Silent focal ischemic mini infarcts in the brain are thought to cause no clinically overt symptoms. Some populations of hippocampal cells are particularly sensitive to ischemic events, however, rendering hippocampal functions especially vulnerable to ischemia-induced deficits. The present study investigated whether an otherwise silent ischemic mini infarct in the hippocampus (HPC) can produce impairments in spatial performance in rats. Spatial performance was assessed in the ziggurat task (ZT) using a 10-trial spatial learning protocol for 4 days prior to undergoing hippocampal ischemic lesion or sham surgery. Hippocampal silent ischemia was induced by infusion of endothelin-1 (ET-1), a potent vasoconstrictor, into either the dorsal or the ventral hippocampus (dHPC and vHPC). When tested postoperatively in the ZT using a standard testing protocol for 8 days, rats with hippocampal lesions exhibited no spatial deficit. Although spatial learning and memory in the ZT were not affected by the ET-1-induced silent ischemia, rats with dHPC stroke showed more returns when navigating the ZT as opposed to the vHPC rats. Comparison of region-specific HPC lesions in the present study indicated that dorsal hippocampal function is critically required for topographic orientation in a complex environment. Topographic disorientation as reflected by enhanced return behaviors may represent one of the earliest predictors of cognitive decline after silent ischemic insult that may be potentially traced with sensitive clinical examination in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamshid Faraji
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience (CCBN), University of Lethbridge Lethbridge, AB, Canada ; Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Golestan University of Medical Sciences Gorgan, Iran
| | - Nabiollah Soltanpour
- Department of Anatomy, Biology and Molecular Research Center, Babol University of Medical Sciences Babol, Iran
| | - Reza Moeeini
- Department of Behavioural Studies, Avicenna Institute of Neuroscience Yazd, Iran
| | - Shabnam Roudaki
- Department of Behavioural Studies, Avicenna Institute of Neuroscience Yazd, Iran
| | - Nasrin Soltanpour
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience (CCBN), University of Lethbridge Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Ali-Akbar Abdollahi
- Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Golestan University of Medical Sciences Gorgan, Iran
| | - Gerlinde A S Metz
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience (CCBN), University of Lethbridge Lethbridge, AB, Canada
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20
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Locklear MN, Kritzer MF. Assessment of the effects of sex and sex hormones on spatial cognition in adult rats using the Barnes maze. Horm Behav 2014; 66:298-308. [PMID: 24937438 PMCID: PMC4127089 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2014.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2014] [Revised: 06/05/2014] [Accepted: 06/06/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Although sex differences and hormone effects on spatial cognition are observed in humans and animals, consensus has not been reached regarding exact impact on spatial working or reference memory. Recent studies in rats suggest that stress and/or reward, which are often different in tasks used to assess spatial cognition, can contribute to the inconsistencies in the literature. To minimize the impact of these sex- and sex hormone-sensitive factors, we used the Barnes maze to compare spatial working memory, spatial reference memory and spatial learning strategy in adult male, female, gonadectomized (GDX) male, and GDX male rats supplemented with 17β-estradiol (E) or testosterone propionate (TP). Rats received four acquisition trials, four trials 24h later, and a single retention trial one week after. Males and females acquired the task during the first four trials and retained the task thereafter. In contrast, GDX rats took longer to acquire the task and showed retention deficits at 1week. All deficits were attenuated similarly by TP and E. Assessment of search patterns also showed that strategies in the males transitioned from random to spatially focused and eventually direct approaches to the goal. However, this transition was faster in control and GDX-TP than in GDX and GDX-E rats. In contrast, the females almost invariantly followed the maze edge in thigmotactic, serial searches. Thus, while Barnes maze reveals activational, in part estrogenic effects on spatial cognition in males, its amenability to animals' use of multiple strategies may limit its ability to resolve mnemonic differences across sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- M N Locklear
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA; Dept. of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA.
| | - M F Kritzer
- Dept. of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
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21
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Faraji J, Soltanpour N, Jafari SY, Moeeini R, Pakdel S, Moharreri A, Metz GAS. Stress inhibits psychomotor performance differently in simple and complex open field environments. Horm Behav 2014; 65:66-75. [PMID: 24316334 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2013.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2013] [Revised: 10/24/2013] [Accepted: 11/27/2013] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Stress affects psychomotor profiles and exploratory behavior in response to environmental features. Here we investigated psychomotor and exploratory patterns induced by stress in a simple open-field arena and a complex, multi-featured environment. Groups of rats underwent seven days of restraint stress or no-stress conditions and were individually tested in three versions of the ziggurat task (ZT) that varied according to environmental complexity. The hyperactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis due to stress procedure was evaluated by the pre- and post-stress levels of circulating corticosterone (CORT). Horizontal activity, exploration, and motivation were measured by the number of fields entered, the time spent in the central fields, path length and speed, and stop duration. In addition, vertical exploratory behavior was measured by the times rats climbed onto ziggurats. Stress-induced psychomotor changes were indicated by reduced path length and path speed and increased duration of stops only within the complex arena of the ZT. Rats in stress groups also showed a significant decline in the vertical movements as measured by the number of climbing onto ziggurats. No stress-induced changes were revealed by the simple open-field arena. The exploratory patterns of stressed animals suggest psychomotor inhibition and reduced novelty-seeking behaviors in an environment-dependent manner. Thus, multi-featured arenas that require complex behavioral strategies are ideally suited to reveal the inhibitory effects of stress on psychomotor capabilities in rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamshid Faraji
- Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada; Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery, Gorgan, Islamic Republic of Iran.
| | - Nabiollah Soltanpour
- Department of Anatomy, Biology and Molecular Research Center, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Islamic Republic of Iran
| | - Seyed Yaghoob Jafari
- Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery, Gorgan, Islamic Republic of Iran
| | - Reza Moeeini
- Avicenna Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Behavioural Studies, Yazd, Islamic Republic of Iran
| | - Shiva Pakdel
- Avicenna Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Behavioural Studies, Yazd, Islamic Republic of Iran
| | - Alireza Moharreri
- Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Department of Anatomy, Gorgan, Islamic Republic of Iran
| | - Gerlinde A S Metz
- Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
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22
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Faraji J, Jafari SY, Soltanpour N, Arjang K, Soltanpour N, Moeeini R. Stress enhances return-based behaviors in Wistar rats during spatial navigation without altering spatial performance: improvement or deficit? Physiol Behav 2013; 122:163-71. [PMID: 24012698 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2013.08.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2013] [Revised: 07/11/2013] [Accepted: 08/29/2013] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Stress is frequently reported to be deleterious to spatial learning and memory. However, there are many instances in which spatial performance is not affected by stress. This discrepancy observed across different studies, in addition to the animals' strain and gender, may be caused by the type of the task employed to assess stress-related behavioral changes. The present experiments set out to investigate the effects of repeated restraint stress (3h/21 days) on spatial performance within the two wet-land (Morris water task; MWT) and dry-land (the ziggurat task; ZT) tasks for spatial learning and memory in adult male Wistar rats. All rats were tested before and after stress treatment. Stressed rats gained less weight than controls. Stress also enhanced circulating corticosterone (CORT). We did not observe a deleterious effect of stress on spatial learning and memory in either of the tasks: both groups successfully performed the wet- and dry-land tasks across all spatial testing days, indicating intact spatial cognition in control and stress rats. However, daily restraint stress for 21 days significantly caused enhancement in rats' memory-dependent returns during the goal-directed investigation in the ZT. The number of returns on learning days was not affected by repeated restraint stress. Return-based spatial investigation induced by stress only on memory days in the dry-land task, not only emphasize on the task-dependent nature of stress-related alterations, it may reveal one of the silent, but arguably deleterious effects of stress on spatial memory in Wistar rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamshid Faraji
- Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada; Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery, Gorgan, Islamic Republic of Iran.
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23
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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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24
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Anderson EM, Moenk MD, Barbaro L, Clarke DA, Matuszewich L. Effects of pretraining and water temperature on female rats' performance in the Morris water maze. Physiol Behav 2013; 122:216-21. [PMID: 23624154 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2013.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2012] [Revised: 03/20/2013] [Accepted: 04/16/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The water maze is a complex spatial task that requires the coordination of multiple systems to perform efficiently. Various factors have been shown to influence performance in this task, including motivational state and prior experience. Although a consistent sex difference has been observed in acquiring the water maze in rats, the contribution of the various factors in female rat performance has not been fully assessed. Therefore, the current study tested the effects of motivation as manipulated by water temperature of the maze and prior experience in the maze on the performance of female rats. It was hypothesized that females pretrained in the maze would perform better than those without exposure to the water maze, regardless of water temperature, but in naïve rats, colder water would improve performance as shown previously in male rats. For pretraining, female rats were taught to find a visible platform in cold (19 °C, 4 trials on one day) and warm (25 °C, 4 trials on one day) water before acquisition trials, with the order of the water temperature randomly assigned. Control rats were not given any training and were naïve to the water maze procedure. Pretrained and control rats were then tested to locate a hidden platform in either cold or warm water for 5 consecutive days. Overall, pretraining had a significant effect on distance, latency, and directness of path to the platform. Water temperature did not show a significant effect on any measure or a significant interaction with pretraining. Thus, while our hypothesis that pretraining would improve performance was supported, the results did not support the prediction that water temperature would also significantly influence performance. These results show that non-spatial pretraining can critically improve the performance of females in acquiring a place strategy for the hidden platform, irrespective of water temperature.
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Affiliation(s)
- E M Anderson
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL 60115, United States
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25
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Ge JF, Qi CC, Qiao JP, Wang CW, Zhou NJ. Sex differences in ICR mice in the Morris water maze task. Physiol Res 2012; 62:107-17. [PMID: 23173685 DOI: 10.33549/physiolres.932371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The Morris water maze (MWM) is one of the most common tasks used to assess spatial learning and memory ability in rodents. Genetic strain and gender are two prominent variants that influence spatial performance. Although it was reported that ICR (Institute of Cancer Research) mice exhibited an unchanged baseline performance in the training phase of the MWM task, this outbred strain has been widely used in learning and memory studies, and little is known regarding the effects of sex on behavioral performance. In this study, we demonstrated that both male and female ICR mice could complete the MWM task. Furthermore, a significant sex difference was observed, with females having shorter escape latencies and longer durations in the target quadrant in both the acquisition and test phases. Our findings emphasize the necessity of careful examination of not only the strain effect on behavioral performance but also the sex effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- J F Ge
- Department of Brain Function and Diseases, School of Life Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Anhui, China
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26
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Gill DA, Perry MA, McGuire EP, Pérez-Gómez A, Tasker RA. Low-dose neonatal domoic acid causes persistent changes in behavioural and molecular indicators of stress response in rats. Behav Brain Res 2012; 230:409-17. [PMID: 22387806 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2012.02.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2011] [Revised: 02/16/2012] [Accepted: 02/21/2012] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Appropriate stress responses rely on a finely-tuned neuronal balance that must continually adapt to a frequently changing external environment. Alterations in this balance can result in susceptibility to a variety of stress-related disorders, as well as exacerbate already existing conditions. We have previously reported that rat pups injected with a very low dose (20 μg/kg) of domoic acid during the second postnatal week of life display low-grade seizure behaviours when challenged with stressful tasks, and also exhibit a variety of structural and functional changes similar to those seen in temporal lobe epilepsy. The current study was designed to investigate markers of altered stress-response in this model. Following neonatal treatment, adult rats were tested in the elevated plus maze, as well as two water maze tasks, both of which involved a platform reversal challenge. Results indicated a modified behavioural stress/anxiety response, increased perseveration, and alterations in search strategy for all domoate-treated rats, as well as male-specific deficits in cognitive flexibility. In addition, 80% of treated males and 20% of treated females exhibited seizure behaviour. Western blot analysis revealed male-only increases in adrenergic receptor (α2a and α2c) and mineralocorticoid receptor expression, and subtle sex-specific changes in glucocorticoid receptor expression, but no differences in corticotropin-releasing factor receptors I/II, or dopamine D2 receptor expression. A significant decrease in glucocorticoid:mineralocorticoid ratio was also noted. We conclude that early exposure to DOM alters central mechanisms underlying stress response, and that this model may be valuable for investigating the connection between stress and neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daphne A Gill
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Prince Edward Island 550 University Ave, Charlottetown, PE C1A4P3, Canada
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27
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van der Staay FJ, Gieling ET, Pinzón NE, Nordquist RE, Ohl F. The appetitively motivated “cognitive” holeboard: A family of complex spatial discrimination tasks for assessing learning and memory. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2012; 36:379-403. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2011.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2011] [Revised: 06/30/2011] [Accepted: 07/04/2011] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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28
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Faraji J, Sutherland RJ, Metz GA. Stress precipitates functional deficits following striatal silent stroke: A synergistic effect. Exp Neurol 2011; 232:251-60. [DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2011.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2011] [Revised: 09/03/2011] [Accepted: 09/09/2011] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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29
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Xu X, Tian D, Hong X, Chen L, Xie L. Sex-specific influence of exposure to bisphenol-A between adolescence and young adulthood on mouse behaviors. Neuropharmacology 2011; 61:565-73. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2011.04.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2010] [Revised: 04/14/2011] [Accepted: 04/19/2011] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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30
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Iñiguez SD, Charntikov S, Baella SA, Herbert MS, Bolaños-Guzmán CA, Crawford CA. Post-training cocaine exposure facilitates spatial memory consolidation in C57BL/6 mice. Hippocampus 2011; 22:802-13. [PMID: 21542053 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.20941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/25/2011] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we examined the ability of post-training injections of cocaine to facilitate spatial memory performance using the Morris water maze (MWM). We also investigated the role that hippocampal protein kinase A (PKA) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK) signaling may play in cocaine-mediated spatial memory consolidation processes. Male and female C57BL/6 mice were first trained in a MWM task (eight consecutive trials) then injected with cocaine (0, 1.25, 2.5, 5, or 20 mg/kg), and memory for the platform location was retested after a 24 h delay. Cocaine had a dose-dependent effect on spatial memory performance because only the mice receiving 2.5 mg/kg cocaine displayed a significant reduction in latency to locate the platform. No sex differences in MWM performance were observed; however, females showed higher hippocampal levels of PKA when compared with males. A second experiment demonstrated that 2.5 mg/kg cocaine enhanced MWM performance only when administered within 2, but not 4 h after spatial training. We also found that cocaine (2.5 mg/kg) increased ERK2 phosphorylation within the hippocampus and one of its downstream targets (ribosomal S6 kinase), a mechanism that may be responsible, at least in part, for the enhanced cocaine-mediated spatial memory performance. Overall, these data demonstrate that a low dose of cocaine (2.5 mg/kg) administered within 2 h after training facilitates MWM spatial memory performance in C57BL/6 mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio D Iñiguez
- Department of Psychology, California State University, San Bernardino, California 92407, USA
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31
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Chronic stress prior to hippocampal stroke enhances post-stroke spatial deficits in the ziggurat task. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2011; 95:335-45. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2011.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2010] [Revised: 12/01/2010] [Accepted: 01/12/2011] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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32
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Sex-dependent effects of chronic unpredictable stress in the water maze. Physiol Behav 2011; 102:266-75. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2010.10.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2010] [Revised: 10/12/2010] [Accepted: 10/31/2010] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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33
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Faraji J, Metz GA, Sutherland RJ. Stress after hippocampal stroke enhances spatial performance in rats. Physiol Behav 2011; 102:389-99. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2010.11.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2010] [Revised: 11/16/2010] [Accepted: 11/29/2010] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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34
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Sutcliffe JS. Female rats are smarter than males: influence of test, oestrogen receptor subtypes and glutamate. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2011; 8:37-56. [PMID: 21365438 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2011_120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Interest in the influence of sex hormones within the central nervous system is a rapidly expanding area of research. A considerable amount of evidence has recently been obtained to support an important role of the gonadal steroids in cognitive processing. Not only are distinct and complementary behavioural phenotypes evident for each gender, in the case of the female but they are also reliant upon hormonal status. Gender influences and hormonal status are thus paramount and should encourage the development of more hypothesis-driven research strategies to understand gender differences in both normal behaviour and where this is altered in neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane Suzanne Sutcliffe
- Maccine Pte Ltd, 10 Science Park Road, #01-05 The Alpha, Singapore Science Park II, Singapore, 117684, Singapore.
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