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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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Joue G, Navarro-Schröder T, Achtzehn J, Moffat S, Hennies N, Fuß J, Döller C, Wolbers T, Sommer T. Effects of estrogen on spatial navigation and memory. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2024; 241:1037-1063. [PMID: 38407638 PMCID: PMC11031496 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-024-06539-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
RATIONALE Animal studies suggest that the so-called "female" hormone estrogen enhances spatial navigation and memory. This contradicts the observation that males generally out-perform females in spatial navigation and tasks involving spatial memory. A closer look at the vast number of studies actually reveals that performance differences are not so clear. OBJECTIVES To help clarify the unclear performance differences between men and women and the role of estrogen, we attempted to isolate organizational from activational effects of estrogen on spatial navigation and memory. METHODS In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, we tested the effects of orally administered estradiol valerate (E2V) in healthy, young women in their low-hormone menstrual cycle phase, compared to healthy, young men. Participants performed several first-person, environmentally rich, 3-D computer games inspired by spatial navigation and memory paradigms in animal research. RESULTS We found navigation behavior suggesting that sex effects dominated any E2 effects with men performing better with allocentric strategies and women with egocentric strategies. Increased E2 levels did not lead to general improvements in spatial ability in either sex but to behavioral changes reflecting navigation flexibility. CONCLUSION Estrogen-driven differences in spatial cognition might be better characterized on a spectrum of navigation flexibility rather than by categorical performance measures or skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gina Joue
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Tobias Navarro-Schröder
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Olav Kyrres Gate 9, 7030, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Johannes Achtzehn
- Department of Neurology with Experimental Neurology (CVK), Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
| | - Scott Moffat
- School of Psychology, Georgia Institute of Technology, 654 Cherry Street, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Nora Hennies
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Johannes Fuß
- Institute of Forensic Psychiatry and Sex Research, University Duisburg-Essen, Hohlweg 26, 45147, Essen, Germany
| | - Christian Döller
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Olav Kyrres Gate 9, 7030, Trondheim, Norway
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Stephanstraße 1a, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Thomas Wolbers
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Leipziger Straße 44, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Tobias Sommer
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
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3
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Kundakovic M, Tickerhoof M. Epigenetic mechanisms underlying sex differences in the brain and behavior. Trends Neurosci 2024; 47:18-35. [PMID: 37968206 PMCID: PMC10841872 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2023.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023]
Abstract
Sex differences are found across brain regions, behaviors, and brain diseases. Sexual differentiation of the brain is initiated prenatally but it continues throughout life, as a result of the interaction of three major factors: gonadal hormones, sex chromosomes, and the environment. These factors are thought to act, in part, via epigenetic mechanisms which control chromatin and transcriptional states in brain cells. In this review, we discuss evidence that epigenetic mechanisms underlie sex-specific neurobehavioral changes during critical organizational periods, across the estrous cycle, and in response to diverse environments throughout life. We further identify future directions for the field that will provide novel mechanistic insights into brain sex differences, inform brain disease treatments and women's brain health in particular, and apply to people across genders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marija Kundakovic
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fordham University, Bronx, NY 10458, USA.
| | - Maria Tickerhoof
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fordham University, Bronx, NY 10458, USA
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4
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Lipatova O, Campolattaro MM, Lockhart BK, Hammad MB. Differential effects of acute stress on spatial learning and memory in the open-field tower maze across the female estrous cycle. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2023; 206:107862. [PMID: 37944635 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2023.107862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Revised: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of the present investigation was to test how acute stress and levels of circulating estrogens together influence acquisition and retention of spatial learning, as well as explorative behaviors in female rats. We used the hippocampus-dependent Open-field Tower Maze (OFTM) task to assess acquisition followed by a retention test (reacquisition) that was given 48 h later. Immediately prior to acquisition, experimental rats were exposed to an acute restraint stress and were trained under bright lights. Female rats' estrous cycles were tracked throughout training and testing. Exposure to stress did not affect learning when levels of estrogens were low (i.e., during estrus and metestrus). However, acute stress exposure significantly lowered spatial acquisition of the female rats in the phases with rising levels of estrogens (i.e., during diestrus and proestrus). Furthermore, this stress-induced diminishment during acquisition was evident at the beginning of the retention without any presentation of stress. The present findings provide insight about the interactive relationship between stress and sex hormones on cognitive functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Lipatova
- Christopher Newport University, Newport News, VA, United States.
| | | | - Blakely K Lockhart
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | - Mariam B Hammad
- Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
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5
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Dong TN, Kramár EA, Beardwood JH, Al-Shammari A, Wood MA, Keiser AA. Temporal endurance of exercise-induced benefits on hippocampus-dependent memory and synaptic plasticity in female mice. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2022; 194:107658. [PMID: 35811066 PMCID: PMC9901197 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2022.107658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Exercise facilitates hippocampal neurogenesis and neuroplasticity that in turn, promotes cognitive function. Our previous studies have demonstrated that in male mice, voluntary exercise enables hippocampus-dependent learning in conditions that are normally subthreshold for long-term memory formation in sedentary animals. Such cognitive enhancement can be maintained long after exercise has ceased and can be re-engaged by a subsequent subthreshold exercise session, suggesting exercise-induced benefits are temporally dynamic. In females, the extent to which the benefits of exercise can be maintained and the mechanisms underlying this maintenance have yet to be defined. Here, we examined the exercise parameters required to initiate and maintain the benefits of exercise in female C57BL/6J mice. Using a subthreshold version of the hippocampus-dependent task called object-location memory (OLM) task, we show that 14d of voluntary exercise enables learning under subthreshold acquisition conditions in female mice. Following the initial exercise, a 7d sedentary delay results in diminished performance, which can be re-facilitated when animals receive 2d of reactivating exercise following the sedentary delay. Assessment of estrous cycle reveals enhanced wheel running activity during the estrus phase relative to the diestrus phase, whereas estrous phase on training or test had no effect on OLM performance. Utilizing the same exercise parameters, we demonstrate that 14d of exercise enhances long-term potentiation (LTP) in the CA1 region of the hippocampus, an effect that persists throughout the sedentary delay and following the reactivating exercise session. Previous studies have proposed exercise-induced BDNF upregulation as the mechanism underlying exercise-mediated benefits on synaptic plasticity and cognition. However, our assessment of hippocampal Bdnf mRNA expression following memory retrieval reveals no difference between exercise conditions and control, suggesting that persistent Bdnf upregulation may not be required for maintenance of exercise-induced benefits. Together, our data indicate that 14d of voluntary exercise can initiate long-lasting benefits on neuroplasticity and cognitive function in female mice, establishing the first evidence on the temporal endurance of exercise-induced benefits in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- T N Dong
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States
| | - E A Kramár
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, School of Biological Sciences University of California, Irvine 92697-2695, United States; Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory (CNLM), University of California, Irvine 92697-2695, United States; Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders (UCI MIND), University of California, Irvine 92697-2695, United States
| | - J H Beardwood
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, School of Biological Sciences University of California, Irvine 92697-2695, United States; Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory (CNLM), University of California, Irvine 92697-2695, United States; Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders (UCI MIND), University of California, Irvine 92697-2695, United States
| | - A Al-Shammari
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, School of Biological Sciences University of California, Irvine 92697-2695, United States; Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory (CNLM), University of California, Irvine 92697-2695, United States; Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders (UCI MIND), University of California, Irvine 92697-2695, United States
| | - M A Wood
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, School of Biological Sciences University of California, Irvine 92697-2695, United States; Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory (CNLM), University of California, Irvine 92697-2695, United States; Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders (UCI MIND), University of California, Irvine 92697-2695, United States
| | - A A Keiser
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, School of Biological Sciences University of California, Irvine 92697-2695, United States; Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory (CNLM), University of California, Irvine 92697-2695, United States; Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders (UCI MIND), University of California, Irvine 92697-2695, United States.
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6
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Boi L, Petralla S, Monti B, Talani G, Sanna E, Pisu MG, Calderisi G, Maciocco E, Serra M, Concas A, Porcu P. Chronic treatment with hormonal contraceptives alters hippocampal BDNF and histone H3 post-translational modifications but not learning and memory in female rats. Horm Behav 2022; 144:105218. [PMID: 35785712 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Hormonal contraceptives prevent ovulation with subsequent reduction in endogenous levels of estradiol, progesterone and its neuroactive metabolite allopregnanolone. These neurosteroids modulate several brain functions, including neuronal plasticity, cognition and memory. We hypothesized that hormonal contraceptives might affect synaptic plasticity, learning and memory, as a consequence of suppressed endogenous hormones levels. Female rats were orally treated with a combination of ethinyl estradiol (EE, 0.020 mg) and levonorgestrel (LNG, 0.060 mg) once daily for four weeks. Decreased hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels and altered histone H3 post-translational modifications (PTMs) were observed 14 days after discontinuation from chronic EE-LNG treatment. These effects were not accompanied by alterations in long-term plasticity at glutamatergic synapses, recognition memory in the novel object and novel place location tests, or spatial learning, memory, and behavioral flexibility in the Morris water maze test. Thus, decreased BDNF content does not affect synaptic plasticity and cognitive performance; rather it might be relevant for the occurrence of certain psychiatric symptoms, reported by some women using hormonal contraceptives. These results provide the first evidence of hippocampal epigenetic changes induced by hormonal contraceptives and complement previous studies on the neurobiological actions of hormonal contraceptives; the finding that effects of chronic EE-LNG treatment on BDNF content and histone PTMs are observed 14 days after drug discontinuation warrants further investigation to better understand the implications of such long-term consequences for women's health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Boi
- Department of Life and Environment Sciences, Section of Neuroscience and Anthropology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Sabrina Petralla
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Barbara Monti
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Talani
- Neuroscience Institute, CNR - National Research Council of Italy, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Enrico Sanna
- Department of Life and Environment Sciences, Section of Neuroscience and Anthropology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy; Neuroscience Institute, CNR - National Research Council of Italy, Cagliari, Italy
| | | | - Giulia Calderisi
- Department of Life and Environment Sciences, Section of Neuroscience and Anthropology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Maciocco
- Neuroscience Institute, CNR - National Research Council of Italy, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Mariangela Serra
- Department of Life and Environment Sciences, Section of Neuroscience and Anthropology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Alessandra Concas
- Department of Life and Environment Sciences, Section of Neuroscience and Anthropology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Patrizia Porcu
- Neuroscience Institute, CNR - National Research Council of Italy, Cagliari, Italy.
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7
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Paiva-Santos MA, Leão AHFF, Kurita JPF, Becegato MS, Lima AC, Bioni VS, Meurer YSR, Cunha DMG, Medeiros AM, Silva RH. Sex differences in the acute ethanol effects on object recognition memory: influence of estrous cycle. Behav Pharmacol 2022; 33:322-332. [PMID: 35502955 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Effects of acute ethanol (EtOH) on memory depend on several factors, including type of behavioral task. Sex differences in EtOH effects have been reported in humans and animals, and recognition memory can be influenced by circulating sex hormones. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of sex and estrous cycle in the acute effects of EtOH on novel object recognition memory in rats. Male and female Wistar rats were part of one of the groups: control, 0.6-g/kg EtOH and 1.8-g/kg EtOH (administered intraperitoneally before the training session). The estrous cycle was evaluated by vaginal smear. The task was conducted in an open field arena. During training, animals were exposed to two identical objects, and test sessions were performed 1 h (short-term) and 24 h (long-term) later. One of the objects was changed in each test. Increased novel object exploration was shown by male and female controls in the short- and long-term tests, respectively. In the short-term test, females did not show preference for the novel object, and EtOH 1.8 g/kg impaired performance in males. In the long-term test, both sexes showed object discrimination, and 1.8-g/kg EtOH reduced preference for the new object in male rats. The phase of the cycle, the performance on proestrus was worse compared with other phases, and EtOH failed to impair performance mainly on estrous. In conclusion, while male rats displayed ethanol-induced recognition memory deficit, female rats were unaffected by EtOH impairing effects. In addition, the performance of female rats was influenced by the estrous cycle phases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - João P F Kurita
- Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo
| | - Marcela S Becegato
- Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo
| | - Alvaro C Lima
- Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo
| | - Vinicius S Bioni
- Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo
| | - Ywlliane S R Meurer
- Memory and Cognition Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa
| | - Débora M G Cunha
- Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo
| | - André M Medeiros
- Department of Health Sciences, Center of Health and Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido, Mossoró, Brazil
| | - Regina H Silva
- Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo
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8
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Rubio Arzola P, Shansky RM. Considering Organismal Physiology in Laboratory Studies of Rodent Behavior. Annu Rev Neurosci 2022; 45:387-402. [PMID: 35395164 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-neuro-111020-085500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Any experiment conducted in a rodent laboratory is done so against the backdrop of each animal's physiological state at the time of the experiment. This physiological state can be the product of multiple factors, both internal (e.g., animal sex, strain, hormone cycles, or circadian rhythms) and external (e.g., housing conditions, social status, and light/dark phases). Each of these factors has the potential to influence experimental outcomes, either independently or via interactions with others, and yet there is little consistency across laboratories in terms of the weight with which they are considered in experimental design. Such discrepancies-both in practice and in reporting-likely contribute to the perception of a reproducibility crisis in the field of behavioral neuroscience. In this review, we discuss how several of these sources of variability can impact outcomes within the realm of common learning and memory paradigms. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Neuroscience, Volume 45 is July 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rebecca M Shansky
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA;
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9
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Olave FA, Aguayo FI, Román-Albasini L, Corrales WA, Silva JP, González PI, Lagos S, García MA, Alarcón-Mardones M, Rojas PS, Xu X, Cidlowski JA, Aliaga E, Fiedler J. Chronic restraint stress produces sex-specific behavioral and molecular outcomes in the dorsal and ventral rat hippocampus. Neurobiol Stress 2022; 17:100440. [PMID: 35252485 PMCID: PMC8894263 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2022.100440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress-related disorders display differences at multiple levels according to sex. While most studies have been conducted in male rodents, less is known about comparable outcomes in females. In this study, we found that the chronic restraint stress model (2.5 h/day for 14 days) triggers different somatic responses in male and female adult rats. Chronic restraint produced a loss in sucrose preference and novel location preference in male rats. However, chronic restraint failed to produce loss of sucrose preference in females, while it improved spatial performance. We then characterized the molecular responses associated with these behaviors in the hippocampus, comparing the dorsal and ventral poles. Notably, sex- and hippocampal pole-specific transcriptional signatures were observed, along with a significant concordance between the female ventral and male dorsal profiles. Functional enrichment analysis revealed both shared and specific terms associated with each pole and sex. By looking into signaling pathways that were associated with these terms, we found an ample array of sex differences in the dorsal and, to a lesser extent, in the ventral hippocampus. These differences were mainly present in synaptic TrkB signaling, Akt pathway, and glutamatergic receptors. Unexpectedly, the effects of stress on these pathways were rather minimal and mostly dissociated from the sex-specific behavioral outcomes. Our study suggests that female rats are resilient and males susceptible to the restraint stress exposure in the sucrose preference and object location tests, while the activity of canonical signaling pathways is primarily determined by sex rather than stress in the dorsal and ventral hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe A. Olave
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics. Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Universidad de Chile, Independencia, 8380492, Santiago, Chile
| | - Felipe I. Aguayo
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics. Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Universidad de Chile, Independencia, 8380492, Santiago, Chile
| | - Luciano Román-Albasini
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics. Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Universidad de Chile, Independencia, 8380492, Santiago, Chile
| | - Wladimir A. Corrales
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics. Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Universidad de Chile, Independencia, 8380492, Santiago, Chile
| | - Juan P. Silva
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics. Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Universidad de Chile, Independencia, 8380492, Santiago, Chile
| | - Pablo I. González
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics. Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Universidad de Chile, Independencia, 8380492, Santiago, Chile
| | - Sara Lagos
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics. Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Universidad de Chile, Independencia, 8380492, Santiago, Chile
| | - María A. García
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics. Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Universidad de Chile, Independencia, 8380492, Santiago, Chile
| | - Matías Alarcón-Mardones
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics. Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Universidad de Chile, Independencia, 8380492, Santiago, Chile
| | - Paulina S. Rojas
- Escuela de Química y Farmacia, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Xiaojiang Xu
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA
| | - John A. Cidlowski
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA
| | - Esteban Aliaga
- Medical Technology School and the Neuropsychology and Cognitive Neurosciences Research Center (CINPSI-Neurocog), Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile
- Corresponding author. Medical Technology School, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile.
| | - Jenny Fiedler
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics. Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Universidad de Chile, Independencia, 8380492, Santiago, Chile
- Corresponding author. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universidad de Chile, Santiago. Chile.
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10
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Estradiol effects on spatial memory in women. Behav Brain Res 2022; 417:113592. [PMID: 34560131 PMCID: PMC8578444 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Revised: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
To examine the role of estradiol in hippocampal-dependent spatial memory in women, 86 female undergraduates were tested in a virtual Morris water task (VMWT), a virtual radial arm maze (VRAM), and a mental rotation task (MRT) within a single daily session. The VMWT and RAM were also administered 24 h later to examine the effects of estradiol on memory consolidation. Women on oral contraceptives (OCs) or those who were naturally cycling and exhibited low estradiol (LE) or high estradiol (HE), as determined by salivary assays, were included. At the start of day two, the HE group showed superior spatial reference memory on the VMWT relative to the LE group, as evidenced by significantly shorter distances navigating to the hidden platform. The LE group also had the poorest probe trial performance at the start of day two compared to both other groups. There were no group differences in performance on the RAM or MRT. These results provide support for estradiol's role in the consolidation of spatial reference memory in women, and emphasize the differential sensitivities of various virtual memory tasks in assessing spatial memory function in women.
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11
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Frye HE, Izumi Y, Harris AN, Williams SB, Trousdale CR, Sun MY, Sauerbeck AD, Kummer TT, Mennerick S, Zorumski CF, Nelson EC, Dougherty JD, Morón JA. Sex Differences in the Role of CNIH3 on Spatial Memory and Synaptic Plasticity. Biol Psychiatry 2021; 90:766-780. [PMID: 34548146 PMCID: PMC8571071 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2021] [Revised: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND CNIH3 is an AMPA receptor (AMPAR) auxiliary protein prominently expressed in the dorsal hippocampus (dHPC), a region that plays a critical role in spatial memory and synaptic plasticity. However, the effects of CNIH3 on AMPAR-dependent synaptic function and behavior have not been investigated. METHODS We assessed a gain-of-function model of Cnih3 overexpression in the dHPC and generated and characterized a line of Cnih3-/- C57BL/6 mice. We assessed spatial memory through behavioral assays, protein levels of AMPAR subunits and synaptic proteins by immunoblotting, and long-term potentiation in electrophysiological recordings. We also utilized a super-resolution imaging workflow, SEQUIN (Synaptic Evaluation and Quantification by Imaging of Nanostructure), for analysis of nanoscale synaptic connectivity in the dHPC. RESULTS Overexpression of Cnih3 in the dHPC improved short-term spatial memory in female mice but not in male mice. Cnih3-/- female mice exhibited weakened short-term spatial memory, reduced dHPC synapse density, enhanced expression of calcium-impermeable AMPAR (GluA2-containing) subunits in synaptosomes, and attenuated long-term potentiation maintenance compared with Cnih3+/+ control mice; Cnih3-/- males were unaffected. Further investigation revealed that deficiencies in spatial memory and changes in AMPAR composition and synaptic plasticity were most pronounced during the metestrus phase of the estrous cycle in female Cnih3-/- mice. CONCLUSIONS This study identified a novel effect of sex and estrous on CNIH3's role in spatial memory and synaptic plasticity. Manipulation of CNIH3 unmasked sexually dimorphic effects on spatial memory, synaptic function, AMPAR composition, and hippocampal plasticity. These findings reinforce the importance of considering sex as a biological variable in studies of memory and hippocampal synaptic function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah E Frye
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Program in Neuroscience, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Yukitoshi Izumi
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Taylor Family Institute for Innovative Psychiatric Research, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Alexis N Harris
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Sidney B Williams
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Christopher R Trousdale
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Min-Yu Sun
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Andrew D Sauerbeck
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Terrance T Kummer
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Steven Mennerick
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Taylor Family Institute for Innovative Psychiatric Research, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Charles F Zorumski
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Taylor Family Institute for Innovative Psychiatric Research, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Elliot C Nelson
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Joseph D Dougherty
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Jose A Morón
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.
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12
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Arora S, Dharavath RN, Bansal Y, Bishnoi M, Kondepudi KK, Chopra K. Neurobehavioral alterations in a mouse model of chronic partial sleep deprivation. Metab Brain Dis 2021; 36:1315-1330. [PMID: 33740181 DOI: 10.1007/s11011-021-00693-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The night shift paradigm induces a state of chronic partial sleep deprivation (CPSD) and enhances the vulnerability to neuronal dysfunction. However, the specific neuronal impact of CPSD has not been thoroughly explored to date. In the current study, the night shift condition was mimicked in female Swiss albino mice. The classical sleep deprivation model, i.e., Modified Multiple Platform (MMP) method, was used for 8 h/day from Monday to Friday with Saturday and Sunday as a weekend off for nine weeks. Following nine weeks of night shift schedule, their neurobehavioral profile and physiological parameters were assessed along with the activity of the mitochondrial complexes, oxidative stress, serotonin levels, and inflammatory markers in the brain. Mice showed an overall hyperactive behavioral profile including hyperlocomotion, aggression, and stereotyped behavior accompanied by decreased activity of mitochondrial enzymes and serotonin levels, increased oxidative stress and inflammatory markers in whole brain homogenates. Collectively, the study points towards the occurrence of a hyperactive behavioral profile akin to mania and psychosis as a potential consequence of CPSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiyana Arora
- Pharmacology Research Laboratory, University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (UIPS), Panjab University, Sector 14, 160014, Chandigarh, India
| | - Ravinder Naik Dharavath
- Pharmacology Research Laboratory, University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (UIPS), Panjab University, Sector 14, 160014, Chandigarh, India
| | - Yashika Bansal
- Pharmacology Research Laboratory, University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (UIPS), Panjab University, Sector 14, 160014, Chandigarh, India
| | - Mahendra Bishnoi
- Food and Nutritional Biotechnology Laboratory, National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute, SAS Nagar, Punjab, 140306, India
| | - Kanthi Kiran Kondepudi
- Food and Nutritional Biotechnology Laboratory, National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute, SAS Nagar, Punjab, 140306, India
| | - Kanwaljit Chopra
- Pharmacology Research Laboratory, University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (UIPS), Panjab University, Sector 14, 160014, Chandigarh, India.
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13
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Stoneham ET, McHail DG, Samipour-Biel S, Liehr N, Lee CM, Evans JC, Boggs K, Dumas TC. Spatial Learning Is Impaired in Male Pubertal Rats Following Neonatal Daily but Not Randomly Spaced Maternal Deprivation. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:621308. [PMID: 33816470 PMCID: PMC8012507 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.621308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Severe early life stress has long been associated with neuropsychological disorders in adulthood, including depression, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder, and memory dysfunction. To some extent, all of these conditions involve dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and reduced negative feedback inhibition of cortisol release in adulthood. However, the time course for mental health and hormonal outcomes across life stages and the attributes of early life stress that direct the behavioral and biological alterations is not fully understood. We designed our studies to compare outcomes of the two most common maternal deprivation schedules on cognitive ability prior to adulthood. We exposed rat pups to daily or randomly spaced maternal separation bouts within the first 3 weeks of life and examined cognitive performance, neurotrophic signaling, and stress and immune system markers during puberty. We found that the daily separation schedule impaired spatial learning while the randomly spaced schedule did not alter maze performance relative to normally reared control animals. Animals that underwent daily separation showed a tendency for reduced body weight compared to the randomly spaced condition, but there were no differences in adrenal weight. Thymus weight normalized by body weight was increased following daily separation compared to random separation and control conditions. Plasma corticosterone levels measured after behavior testing did not differ amongst experimental groups and there was no impact of TrKB receptor inhibition. Combined, the results show that different early life stress schedules produce different behavioral and biological outcomes when measured at puberty. Combined with prior findings from more mature animals, the results presented here suggest that daily neonatal stress produces varied alterations in spatial cognition at different life stages with a transient learning deficit at puberty preceding a more persistent and a progressive memory impairment through adulthood and into aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily T Stoneham
- Krasnow Institute for Advanced Studies, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, United States
| | - Daniel G McHail
- Krasnow Institute for Advanced Studies, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, United States
| | | | - Nicole Liehr
- George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, United States
| | | | | | | | - Theodore C Dumas
- Krasnow Institute for Advanced Studies, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, United States
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14
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Arakawa H. Sensorimotor developmental factors influencing the performance of laboratory rodents on learning and memory. Behav Brain Res 2019; 375:112140. [PMID: 31401145 PMCID: PMC6741784 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.112140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Revised: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Behavioral studies in animal models have advanced our knowledge of brain function and the neural mechanisms of human diseases. Commonly used laboratory rodents, such as mice and rats, provide a useful tool for studying the behaviors and mechanisms associated with learning and memory processes which are cooperatively regulated by multiple underlying factors, including sensory and motor performance and emotional/defense innate components. Each of these factors shows unique ontogeny and governs the sustainment of behavioral performance in learning tasks, and thus, understanding the integrative processes of behavioral development are crucial in the accurate interpretation of the functional meaning of learning and memory behaviors expressed in commonly employed behavioral test paradigms. In this review, we will summarize the major findings in the developmental processes of rodent behavior on the basis of the emergence of fundamental components for sustaining learning and memory behaviors. Briefly, most sensory modalities (except for vision) and motor abilities are functional at the juvenile stage, in which several defensive components, including active and passive defensive strategies and risk assessment behavior, emerge. Sex differences are detectable from the juvenile stage through adulthood and are considerable factors that influence behavioral tests. The test paradigms addressed in this review include associative learning (with an emphasis on fear conditioning), spatial learning, and recognition. This basic background information will aid in accurately performing behavioral studies in laboratory rodents and will therefore contribute to reducing inappropriate interpretations of behavioral data and further advance research on learning and memory in rodent models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Arakawa
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 20 Penn St. HSF2/S251, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA.
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15
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Azizian H, Khaksari M, Asadi karam G, Esmailidehaj M, Farhadi Z. Cardioprotective and anti-inflammatory effects of G-protein coupled receptor 30 (GPR30) on postmenopausal type 2 diabetic rats. Biomed Pharmacother 2018; 108:153-164. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2018.09.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2018] [Revised: 09/05/2018] [Accepted: 09/05/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
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16
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Increased dendritic length in CA1 and CA3 hippocampal neurons during the metestrus phase in Wistar rats. Brain Res 2018; 1682:78-83. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2018.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2017] [Revised: 01/02/2018] [Accepted: 01/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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17
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Engler-Chiurazzi EB, Brown CM, Povroznik JM, Simpkins JW. Estrogens as neuroprotectants: Estrogenic actions in the context of cognitive aging and brain injury. Prog Neurobiol 2017; 157:188-211. [PMID: 26891883 PMCID: PMC4985492 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2015.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2015] [Revised: 11/06/2015] [Accepted: 12/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
There is ample empirical evidence to support the notion that the biological impacts of estrogen extend beyond the gonads to other bodily systems, including the brain and behavior. Converging preclinical findings have indicated a neuroprotective role for estrogen in a variety of experimental models of cognitive function and brain insult. However, the surprising null or even detrimental findings of several large clinical trials evaluating the ability of estrogen-containing hormone treatments to protect against age-related brain changes and insults, including cognitive aging and brain injury, led to hesitation by both clinicians and patients in the use of exogenous estrogenic treatments for nervous system outcomes. That estrogen-containing therapies are used by tens of millions of women for a variety of health-related applications across the lifespan has made identifying conditions under which benefits with estrogen treatment will be realized an important public health issue. Here we provide a summary of the biological actions of estrogen and estrogen-containing formulations in the context of aging, cognition, stroke, and traumatic brain injury. We have devoted special attention to highlighting the notion that estrogen appears to be a conditional neuroprotectant whose efficacy is modulated by several interacting factors. By developing criteria standards for desired beneficial peripheral and neuroprotective outcomes among unique patient populations, we can optimize estrogen treatments for attenuating the consequences of, and perhaps even preventing, cognitive aging and brain injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- E B Engler-Chiurazzi
- Center for Basic and Translational Stroke Research, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, United States; Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, United States.
| | - C M Brown
- Center for Basic and Translational Stroke Research, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, United States; Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, United States.
| | - J M Povroznik
- Center for Basic and Translational Stroke Research, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, United States; Department of Pediatrics, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, United States.
| | - J W Simpkins
- Center for Basic and Translational Stroke Research, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, United States; Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, United States.
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18
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Gervais NJ, Mong JA, Lacreuse A. Ovarian hormones, sleep and cognition across the adult female lifespan: An integrated perspective. Front Neuroendocrinol 2017; 47:134-153. [PMID: 28803147 PMCID: PMC7597864 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2017.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2017] [Revised: 08/07/2017] [Accepted: 08/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Loss of ovarian function in women is associated with sleep disturbances and cognitive decline, which suggest a key role for estrogens and/or progestins in modulating these symptoms. The effects of ovarian hormones on sleep and cognitive processes have been studied in separate research fields that seldom intersect. However, sleep has a considerable impact on cognitive function. Given the tight connections between sleep and cognition, ovarian hormones may influence selective aspects of cognition indirectly, via the modulation of sleep. In support of this hypothesis, a growing body of evidence indicates that the development of sleep disorders following menopause contributes to accelerated cognitive decline and dementia in older women. This paper draws from both the animal and human literature to present an integrated view of the effects of ovarian hormones on sleep and cognition across the adult female lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole J Gervais
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, 135 Hicks Way, Amherst, MA 01003, United States.
| | - Jessica A Mong
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 655 West Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, United States
| | - Agnès Lacreuse
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, 135 Hicks Way, Amherst, MA 01003, United States
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19
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Koss WA, Frick KM. Sex differences in hippocampal function. J Neurosci Res 2016; 95:539-562. [DOI: 10.1002/jnr.23864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2016] [Revised: 06/28/2016] [Accepted: 07/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Wendy A. Koss
- Department of Psychology; University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Milwaukee Wisconsin
| | - Karyn M. Frick
- Department of Psychology; University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Milwaukee Wisconsin
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20
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Rivera DS, Lindsay C, Codocedo JF, Morel I, Pinto C, Cisternas P, Bozinovic F, Inestrosa N. Andrographolide recovers cognitive impairment in a natural model of Alzheimer's disease (Octodon degus). Neurobiol Aging 2016; 46:204-20. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2016.06.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2016] [Revised: 06/05/2016] [Accepted: 06/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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21
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Hadamitzky M, Orlowski K, Schwitalla JC, Bösche K, Unteroberdörster M, Bendix I, Engler H, Schedlowski M. Transient inhibition of protein synthesis in the rat insular cortex delays extinction of conditioned taste aversion with cyclosporine A. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2016; 133:129-135. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2016.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2015] [Revised: 05/29/2016] [Accepted: 06/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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22
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Pletzer B, Crone JS, Kronbichler M, Kerschbaum H. Menstrual Cycle and Hormonal Contraceptive-Dependent Changes in Intrinsic Connectivity of Resting-State Brain Networks Correspond to Behavioral Changes Due to Hormonal Status. Brain Connect 2016; 6:572-85. [PMID: 27239684 DOI: 10.1089/brain.2015.0407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Menstrual cycle-dependent changes have been reported for a variety of functions, including cognition, attention, emotion, inhibition, and perception. For several of these functions, an effect of hormonal contraceptives has also been discussed. Cognitive, attentional, emotional, inhibitory, and perceptual functions have been linked to distinct intrinsic connectivity networks during the resting state. However, changes in resting-state connectivity across the menstrual cycle phase and due to hormonal contraceptive use have only been investigated in two selected networks and without controlling for the type of hormonal contraceptives. In the present study, we demonstrate menstrual cycle and hormonal contraceptive-dependent changes in several intrinsic connectivity networks, including networks that have been related to emotion processing, olfaction, audition, vision, coordination, and two lateralized frontoparietal networks related to a variety of cognitive functions. These changes parallel behavioral changes in the functions associated with these networks. Changes in connectivity and changes in behavior occur during the same cycle phases. Furthermore, hormonal contraceptive-dependent effects were observed in the same networks and same target sites as menstrual cycle-related changes and were dependent on the androgenicity of the progestin component contained in the hormonal contraceptive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Belinda Pletzer
- 1 Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg , Salzburg, Austria .,2 Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg , Salzburg, Austria
| | - Julia Sophia Crone
- 2 Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg , Salzburg, Austria .,3 Department of Psychology, UCLA , Los Angeles, California
| | - Martin Kronbichler
- 2 Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg , Salzburg, Austria
| | - Hubert Kerschbaum
- 2 Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg , Salzburg, Austria .,4 Department of Cell Biology, University of Salzburg , Salzburg, Austria
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Abstract
It is clear that male and female animals have distinct cognitive capacities and emotional responses. For instance, exposure to a fearful and stressful event of restraint and intermittent tail-shocks impairs instru mental learning in male rats, but has minimal consequence in female rats. Conversely, exposure to a similar stressor facilitates classical conditioning in male rats and dramatically impairs conditioning in female rats. Many such sex differences in learning and responses to stress are attributable to the effects of sex hormones on brain morphology and physiology. Indeed, the stress-induced facilitation of classical conditioning in male rats is dependent on activation of the NMDA type of glutamate receptor in the amygdala, whereas the impaired conditioning in female rats is dependent on activational influences of the ovarian hormone estrogen. The role of estrogen and progesterone in the diametrically opposed effects of stress on learning are dis cussed, as are neuronal mechanisms that underlie sex differences in memory formation. NEUROSCIENTIST 4:353-364, 1998
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Affiliation(s)
- Tracey J. Shors
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience
Rutgers University Piscataway, New Jersey
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24
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Hamson DK, Roes MM, Galea LAM. Sex Hormones and Cognition: Neuroendocrine Influences on Memory and Learning. Compr Physiol 2016; 6:1295-337. [DOI: 10.1002/cphy.c150031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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25
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Mayeaux DJ, Tandle SM, Cilano SM, Fitzharris MJ. Progesterone After Estradiol Modulates Shuttle-Cage Escape by Facilitating Volition. J Exp Neurosci 2016; 9:19-26. [PMID: 26823653 PMCID: PMC4727490 DOI: 10.4137/jen.s32735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2015] [Revised: 11/01/2015] [Accepted: 11/08/2015] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
In animal models of depression, depression is defined as performance on a learning task. That task is typically escaping a mild electric shock in a shuttle cage by moving from one side of the cage to the other. Ovarian hormones influence learning in other kinds of tasks, and these hormones are associated with depressive symptoms in humans. The role of these hormones in shuttle-cage escape learning, however, is less clear. This study manipulated estradiol and progesterone in ovariectomized female rats to examine their performance in shuttle-cage escape learning without intentionally inducing a depressive-like state. Progesterone, not estradiol, within four hours of testing affected latencies to escape. The improvement produced by progesterone was in the decision to act, not in the speed of learning or speed of escaping. This parallels depression in humans in that depressed people are slower in volition, in their decisions to take action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darryl J. Mayeaux
- Department of Psychology, St. Bonaventure University, St. Bonaventure, NY, USA
| | - Sarah M. Tandle
- Department of Psychology, St. Bonaventure University, St. Bonaventure, NY, USA
| | - Sean M. Cilano
- Department of Psychology, St. Bonaventure University, St. Bonaventure, NY, USA
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26
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Jolles JW, Boogert NJ, van den Bos R. Sex differences in risk-taking and associative learning in rats. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2015; 2:150485. [PMID: 26716004 PMCID: PMC4680619 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.150485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2015] [Accepted: 10/08/2015] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
In many species, males tend to have lower parental investment than females and greater variance in their reproductive success. Males might therefore be expected to adopt more high-risk, high-return behaviours than females. Next to risk-taking behaviour itself, sexes might also differ in how they respond to information and learn new associations owing to the fundamental link of these cognitive processes with the risk-reward axis. Here we investigated sex differences in both risk-taking and learned responses to risk by measuring male and female rats' (Rattus norvegicus) behaviour across three contexts in an open field test containing cover. We found that when the environment was novel, males spent more time out of cover than females. Males also hid less when exposed to the test arena containing predator odour. By contrast, females explored more than males when the predator odour was removed (associatively learned risk). These results suggest that males are more risk-prone but behave more in line with previous experiences, while females are more risk-averse and more responsive to changes in their current environment. Our results suggest that male and female rats differ in how they cope with risk and highlight that a general link may exist between risk-taking behaviour and learning style.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jolle Wolter Jolles
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Neeltje J. Boogert
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Ruud van den Bos
- Faculty of Science, Department of Organismal Animal Physiology, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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27
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Reproductive experiential regulation of cognitive and emotional resilience. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2015; 58:92-106. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2014] [Revised: 04/16/2015] [Accepted: 05/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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28
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Frick KM, Kim J, Tuscher JJ, Fortress AM. Sex steroid hormones matter for learning and memory: estrogenic regulation of hippocampal function in male and female rodents. Learn Mem 2015; 22:472-93. [PMID: 26286657 PMCID: PMC4561402 DOI: 10.1101/lm.037267.114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 136] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2015] [Accepted: 07/09/2015] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Ample evidence has demonstrated that sex steroid hormones, such as the potent estrogen 17β-estradiol (E2), affect hippocampal morphology, plasticity, and memory in male and female rodents. Yet relatively few investigators who work with male subjects consider the effects of these hormones on learning and memory. This review describes the effects of E2 on hippocampal spinogenesis, neurogenesis, physiology, and memory, with particular attention paid to the effects of E2 in male rodents. The estrogen receptors, cell-signaling pathways, and epigenetic processes necessary for E2 to enhance memory in female rodents are also discussed in detail. Finally, practical considerations for working with female rodents are described for those investigators thinking of adding females to their experimental designs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karyn M Frick
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211, USA
| | - Jaekyoon Kim
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211, USA
| | - Jennifer J Tuscher
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211, USA
| | - Ashley M Fortress
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211, USA
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Duarte-Guterman P, Yagi S, Chow C, Galea LAM. Hippocampal learning, memory, and neurogenesis: Effects of sex and estrogens across the lifespan in adults. Horm Behav 2015; 74:37-52. [PMID: 26122299 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.05.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2015] [Revised: 04/29/2015] [Accepted: 05/26/2015] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
This article is part of a Special Issue "Estradiol and Cognition". There are sex differences in hippocampus-dependent cognition and neurogenesis suggesting that sex hormones are involved. Estrogens modulate certain forms of spatial and contextual memory and neurogenesis in the adult female rodent, and to a lesser extent male, hippocampus. This review focuses on the effects of sex and estrogens on hippocampal learning, memory, and neurogenesis in the young and aged adult rodent. We discuss how factors such as the type of estrogen, duration and dose of treatment, timing of treatment, and type of memory influence the effects of estrogens on cognition and neurogenesis. We also address how reproductive experience (pregnancy and mothering) and aging interact with estrogens to modulate hippocampal cognition and neurogenesis in females. Given the evidence that adult hippocampal neurogenesis plays a role in long-term spatial memory and pattern separation, we also discuss the functional implications of regulating neurogenesis in the hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Duarte-Guterman
- Department of Psychology, Centre for Brain Health, Program in Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Shunya Yagi
- Department of Psychology, Centre for Brain Health, Program in Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Carmen Chow
- Department of Psychology, Centre for Brain Health, Program in Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Liisa A M Galea
- Department of Psychology, Centre for Brain Health, Program in Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
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Sase S, Meyer K, Lubec G, Korz V. Different expression of membrane-bound and cytosolic hippocampal steroid receptor complexes during spatial training in young male rats. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2014; 24:1819-27. [PMID: 25258178 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2014.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2014] [Revised: 07/31/2014] [Accepted: 09/03/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Brain steroid receptors are involved in mediating stress responses and cognitive processes throughfast non-genomic signaling of membrane-bound receptors or through the slower genomic actions of cytosolic receptors. Although the contribution of these different pathways in the formation and maintenance of memories has been widely discussed, little is known about the regulation of membrane versus cytosolic receptors during a learning task. Besides the relatively well studied corticosterone-binding glucocorticoid (GR) and mineralocorticoid (MR) receptors, sex steroid hormone receptors, such as the androgen and estrogen (ERα and ERβ) receptors, have also been shown to be involved in the regulation of stress and cognition. Moreover, the latter receptors are known to be functional in both sexes. Therefore, we studied the expression of hippocampal receptors in both cellular fractions during spatial learning in male rats. Membrane and cytosolic GR were shown to be downregulated after memory acquisition and unaffected after consolidation, whereas membrane MR was upregulated after both learning phases and unaffected in the cytosol. Cytosolic ERα was downregulated after both phases and unaffected in the membrane. The remaining receptors were not regulated. The data suggest a specific role of MR and ERα during training as fast and slow mediators, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunetra Sase
- University of Vienna, Department of Pediatrics, Vienna, Austria
| | - Katrin Meyer
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany; University of Magdeburg, Institute of Biology, Leipziger Str. 44, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Gert Lubec
- University of Vienna, Department of Pediatrics, Vienna, Austria
| | - Volker Korz
- University of Magdeburg, Institute of Biology, Leipziger Str. 44, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany; Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany.
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31
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Macúchová E, Nohejlová-Deykun K, Slamberová R. Effect of methamphetamine on cognitive functions of adult female rats prenatally exposed to the same drug. Physiol Res 2014; 62:S89-98. [PMID: 24329708 DOI: 10.33549/physiolres.932598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of prenatal methamphetamine (MA) exposure and application of the same drug in adulthood on cognitive functions of adult female rats. Animals were prenatally exposed to MA (5 mg/kg) or saline (control group). The cognitive function was tested as ability of spatial learning in the Morris Water Maze (MWM). Each day of the experiment animals received an injection of MA (1 mg/kg) or saline. Our results demonstrated that prenatal MA exposure did not affect the latency to reach the hidden platform or the distance traveled during the Place Navigation Test; however, the speed of swimming was increased in prenatally MA-exposed rats compared to controls regardless of the treatment in adulthood. MA treatment in adulthood increased the latency and distance when compared to controls regardless of the prenatal exposure. Neither prenatal exposure, nor treatment in adulthood affected memory retrieval. As far as the estrous cycle is concerned, our results showed that prenatally MA-exposed females in proestrus/estrus swam faster than females in diestrus. This effect of estrous cycle was not apparent in control females. In conclusion, our results indicate that postnatal, but not prenatal exposure to MA affects learning of adult female rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Macúchová
- Department of Normal, Pathological and Clinical Physiology, Third Faculty of Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic.
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Deibel SH, Hong NS, Himmler SM, McDonald RJ. The effects of chronic photoperiod shifting on the physiology of female Long-Evans rats. Brain Res Bull 2014; 103:72-81. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2014.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2013] [Revised: 02/16/2014] [Accepted: 03/03/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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Hawley WR, Grissom EM, Moody NM, Dohanich GP, Vasudevan N. Activation of G-protein-coupled receptor 30 is sufficient to enhance spatial recognition memory in ovariectomized rats. Behav Brain Res 2014; 262:68-73. [PMID: 24445074 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2013] [Revised: 01/04/2014] [Accepted: 01/07/2014] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
In ovariectomized rats, administration of estradiol, or selective estrogen receptor agonists that activate either the α or β isoforms, have been shown to enhance spatial cognition on a variety of learning and memory tasks, including those that capitalize on the preference of rats to seek out novelty. Although the effects of the putative estrogen G-protein-coupled receptor 30 (GPR30) on hippocampus-based tasks have been reported using food-motivated tasks, the effects of activation of GPR30 receptors on tasks that depend on the preference of rats to seek out spatial novelty remain to be determined. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to determine if short-term treatment of ovariectomized rats with G-1, an agonist for GPR30, would mimic the effects on spatial recognition memory observed following short-term estradiol treatment. In Experiment 1, ovariectomized rats treated with a low dose (1 μg) of estradiol 48 h and 24 h prior to the information trial of a Y-maze task exhibited a preference for the arm associated with the novel environment on the retention trial conducted 48 h later. In Experiment 2, treatment of ovariectomized rats with G-1 (25 μg) 48 h and 24 h prior to the information trial of a Y-maze task resulted in a greater preference for the arm associated with the novel environment on the retention trial. Collectively, the results indicated that short-term treatment of ovariectomized rats with a GPR30 agonist was sufficient to enhance spatial recognition memory, an effect that also occurred following short-term treatment with a low dose of estradiol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wayne R Hawley
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, United States.
| | - Elin M Grissom
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, United States
| | - Nicole M Moody
- Program in Neuroscience, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, United States
| | - Gary P Dohanich
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, United States; Program in Neuroscience, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, United States
| | - Nandini Vasudevan
- Program in Neuroscience, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, United States; Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, United States
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Jones CE, Riha PD, Gore AC, Monfils MH. Social transmission of Pavlovian fear: fear-conditioning by-proxy in related female rats. Anim Cogn 2013; 17:827-34. [PMID: 24310150 PMCID: PMC3984423 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-013-0711-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2013] [Revised: 11/02/2013] [Accepted: 11/15/2013] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Pairing a previously neutral conditioned stimulus (CS; e.g., a tone) to an aversive unconditioned stimulus (US; e.g., a foot-shock) leads to associative learning such that the tone alone will elicit a conditioned response (e.g., freezing). Individuals can also acquire fear from a social context, such as through observing the fear expression of a conspecific. In the current study, we examined the influence of kinship/familiarity on social transmission of fear in female rats. Rats were housed in triads with either sisters or non-related females. One rat from each cage was fear conditioned to a tone CS+ shock US. On day two, the conditioned rat was returned to the chamber accompanied by one of her cage mates. Both rats were allowed to behave freely, while the tone was played in the absence of the foot-shock. The previously untrained rat is referred to as the fear-conditioned by-proxy (FCbP) animal, as she would freeze based on observations of her cage-mate's response rather than due to direct personal experience with the foot-shock. The third rat served as a cage-mate control. The third day, long-term memory tests to the CS were performed. Consistent with our previous application of this paradigm in male rats (Bruchey et al. in Behav Brain Res 214(1):80-84, 2010), our results revealed that social interactions between the fear conditioned and FCbP rats on day two contribute to freezing displayed by the FCbP rats on day three. In this experiment, prosocial behavior occurring at the termination of the cue on day two was significantly greater between sisters than their non-sister counterparts, and this behavior resulted in increased freezing on day three. Our results suggest that familiarity and/or kinship influences the social transmission of fear in female rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn E Jones
- Department of Psychology, Center for Learning and Memory, The University of Texas at Austin, 108 E. Dean Keeton, A8000, Austin, TX, 78712-1043, USA
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Abstract
Various animal models of depression have been used to seek a greater understanding of stress-related disorders. However, there is still a great need for novel research in this area, as many individuals suffering from depression are resistant to current treatment methods. Women have a higher rate of depression, highlighting the need to investigate mechanisms of sex differences. Therefore, we employed a new animal model to assess symptoms of depression, known as intermittent swim stress (ISS). In this model, the animal experiences 100 trials of cold water swim stress. ISS has already been shown to cause signs of behavioral depression in males, but has yet to be assessed in females. Following ISS exposure, we looked at sex differences in the Morris water maze and forced swim test. The results indicated a spatial learning effect only in the hidden platform task between male and female controls, and stressed and control males. A consistent spatial memory effect was only seen for males exposed to ISS. In the forced swim test, both sexes exposed to ISS exhibited greater immobility, and the same males and females also showed attenuated climbing and swimming, respectively. The sex differences could be due to different neural substrates for males and females. The goal of this study was to provide the first behavioral examination of sex differences following ISS exposure, so the stage of estrous cycle was not assessed for the females. This is a necessary future direction for subsequent experiments. The current article highlights the importance of sex differences in response to stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy A Warner
- Department of Psychology, University of New Hampshire , Durham, NH 03824 , USA
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36
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Frick KM. Epigenetics, oestradiol and hippocampal memory consolidation. J Neuroendocrinol 2013; 25:1151-62. [PMID: 24028406 PMCID: PMC3943552 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2013] [Revised: 08/13/2013] [Accepted: 09/05/2013] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetic alterations of histone proteins and DNA are essential for hippocampal synaptic plasticity and cognitive function, and contribute to the aetiology of psychiatric disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. Hippocampal memory formation depends on histone alterations and DNA methylation, and increasing evidence suggests that the regulation of these epigenetic processes by modulatory factors, such as environmental enrichment, stress and hormones, substantially influences memory function. Recent work from our laboratory suggests that the ability of the sex-steroid hormone 17β-oestradiol (E2 ) to enhance novel object recognition memory consolidation in young adult female mice is dependent on histone H3 acetylation and DNA methylation in the dorsal hippocampus. Our data also suggest that enzymes mediating DNA methylation and histone acetylation work in concert to regulate the effects of E2 on memory consolidation. These findings shed light on the epigenetic mechanisms that influence hormonal modulation of cognitive function, and may have important implications for understanding how hormones influence cognition in adulthood and ageing. The present review provides a brief overview of the literature on epigenetics and memory, describes in detail our findings demonstrating that epigenetic alterations regulate E2 -induced memory enhancement in female mice, and discusses future directions for research on the epigenetic regulation of E2 -induced memory enhancement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karyn M. Frick
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53211
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37
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Harati H, Barbelivien A, Herbeaux K, Muller MA, Engeln M, Kelche C, Cassel JC, Majchrzak M. Lifelong environmental enrichment in rats: impact on emotional behavior, spatial memory vividness, and cholinergic neurons over the lifespan. AGE (DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS) 2013; 35:1027-1043. [PMID: 22592932 PMCID: PMC3705108 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-012-9424-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2012] [Accepted: 04/30/2012] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
We assessed lifelong environmental enrichment effects on possible age-related modifications in emotional behaviors, spatial memory acquisition, retrieval of recent and remote spatial memory, and cholinergic forebrain systems. At the age of 1 month, Long-Evans female rats were placed in standard or enriched rearing conditions and tested after 3 (young), 12 (middle-aged), or 24 (aged) months. Environmental enrichment decreased the reactivity to stressful situations regardless of age. In the water maze test, it delayed the onset of learning deficits and prevented age-dependent spatial learning and recent memory retrieval alterations. Remote memory retrieval, which was altered independently of age under standard rearing conditions, was rescued by enrichment in young and middle-aged, but unfortunately not aged rats. A protected basal forebrain cholinergic system, which could well be one out of several neuronal manifestations of lifelong environmental enrichment, might have contributed to the behavioral benefits of this enrichment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayat Harati
- Laboratoire d’Imagerie et de Neurosciences Cognitives, UMR 7237 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, IFR 37 de Neurosciences, GDR 2905 du CNRS, 12 rue Goethe, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Alexandra Barbelivien
- Laboratoire d’Imagerie et de Neurosciences Cognitives, UMR 7237 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, IFR 37 de Neurosciences, GDR 2905 du CNRS, 12 rue Goethe, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Karine Herbeaux
- Laboratoire d’Imagerie et de Neurosciences Cognitives, UMR 7237 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, IFR 37 de Neurosciences, GDR 2905 du CNRS, 12 rue Goethe, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Marc-Antoine Muller
- Laboratoire d’Imagerie et de Neurosciences Cognitives, UMR 7237 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, IFR 37 de Neurosciences, GDR 2905 du CNRS, 12 rue Goethe, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Michel Engeln
- Laboratoire d’Imagerie et de Neurosciences Cognitives, UMR 7237 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, IFR 37 de Neurosciences, GDR 2905 du CNRS, 12 rue Goethe, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Christian Kelche
- Laboratoire d’Imagerie et de Neurosciences Cognitives, UMR 7237 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, IFR 37 de Neurosciences, GDR 2905 du CNRS, 12 rue Goethe, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Jean-Christophe Cassel
- Laboratoire d’Imagerie et de Neurosciences Cognitives, UMR 7237 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, IFR 37 de Neurosciences, GDR 2905 du CNRS, 12 rue Goethe, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Monique Majchrzak
- Laboratoire d’Imagerie et de Neurosciences Cognitives, UMR 7237 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, IFR 37 de Neurosciences, GDR 2905 du CNRS, 12 rue Goethe, 67000 Strasbourg, France
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38
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Chow C, Epp JR, Lieblich SE, Barha CK, Galea LAM. Sex differences in neurogenesis and activation of new neurons in response to spatial learning and memory. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2013; 38:1236-50. [PMID: 23219473 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2012.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2012] [Revised: 10/30/2012] [Accepted: 11/07/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Adult hippocampal neurogenesis is often associated with hippocampus-dependent learning and memory. Throughout a new neuron's development, it is differentially sensitive to factors that can influence its survival and functionality. Previous research shows that spatial training that occurred 6-10 days after an injection of the DNA synthesis marker, bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU), increased cell survival in male rats. Because sex differences in spatial cognition and hippocampal neurogenesis have been reported, it is unclear whether spatial training would influence hippocampal neurogenesis in the same way in males and females. Therefore, this study examined sex differences in hippocampal neurogenesis following training in a spatial task. Male and female rats were trained in the spatial or cued version of the Morris water maze 6-10 days after one injection of BrdU (200mg/kg). Twenty days following BrdU injection, all animals were given a probe trial and perfused. Males performed better in the spatial, but not cue, task than females. Spatial training increased BrdU-labeled cells relative to cue training only in males, but both males and females showed greater activation of new cells (BrdU co-labeled with immediate early gene product zif268) after spatial training compared to cue training. Furthermore, performance during spatial training was positively correlated with cell activation in females but not males. This study shows that while spatial training differentially regulates hippocampal neurogenesis in males and females, the activity of new neurons in response to spatial memory retrieval is similar. These findings highlight the importance of sex on neural plasticity and cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Chow
- Program in Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Brain Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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Acosta JI, Hiroi R, Camp BW, Talboom JS, Bimonte-Nelson HA. An update on the cognitive impact of clinically-used hormone therapies in the female rat: models, mazes, and mechanisms. Brain Res 2013; 1514:18-39. [PMID: 23333453 PMCID: PMC3739440 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2013.01.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2012] [Accepted: 01/09/2013] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
In women, ovarian hormone loss associated with menopause has been related to cognitive decline. Hormone therapy (HT) may ameliorate some of these changes. Understanding the cognitive impact of female steroids, including estrogens, progestogens, and androgens, is key to discovering treatments that promote brain health in women. The preclinical literature has presented elegant and methodical experiments allowing a better understanding of parameters driving the cognitive consequences of ovarian hormone loss and HT. Animal models have been a valuable tool in this regard, and will be vital to future discoveries. Here, we provide an update on the literature evaluating the impact of female steroid hormones on cognition, and the putative mechanisms mediating these effects. We focus on preclinical work that was done with an eye toward clinical realities. Parameters that govern the cognitive efficacy of HT, from what we know thus far, include but are not limited to: type, dose, duration, and route of HT, age at HT initiation, timing of HT relative to ovarian hormone loss, memory type examined, menopause history, and hormone receptor status. Researchers have identified intricate relationships between some of these factors by studying their individual effects on cognition. As of late, there is increased focus on studying interactions between these variables as well as multiple hormone types when administered concomitantly. This is key to translating preclinical data to the clinic, wherein women typically have concurrent exposure to endogenous ovarian hormones as well as exogenous combination HTs, which include both estrogens and progestins. Gains in understanding the parameters of HT effects on cognition provide exciting novel avenues that can inform clinical treatments, eventually expanding the window of opportunity to optimally enhance cognition and brain health in aging women. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Hormone Therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- J I Acosta
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
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Rodríguez CA, Chamizo VD, Mackintosh NJ. Do hormonal changes that appear at the onset of puberty determine the strategies used by female rats when solving a navigation task? Horm Behav 2013; 64:122-35. [PMID: 23732821 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2013.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2012] [Revised: 05/21/2013] [Accepted: 05/22/2013] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The present set of experiments evaluated the possibility that the hormonal changes that appear at the onset of puberty might influence the strategies used by female rats to solve a spatial navigation task. In each experiment, rats were trained in a triangular shaped pool to find a hidden platform which maintained a constant relationship with two sources of information, one individual landmark and one corner of the pool with a distinctive geometry. Then, three test trials were conducted without the platform in counterbalanced order. In one, both the geometry and the landmark were simultaneously presented, although in different spatial positions, in order to measure the rats' preferences. In the remaining test trials what the rats had learned about the two sources of information was measured by presenting them individually. Experiment 1, with 60-day old rats, revealed a clear sex difference, thus replicating a previous finding (Rodríguez et al., 2010): females spent more time in an area of the pool that corresponded to the landmark, whereas males spent more time in the distinctive corner of the pool even though the remaining tests revealed that both sexes had learned about the two sources of information. In Experiment 2, 30-day old female rats, unlike adults, preferred to solve the task using the geometry information rather than the landmark (although juvenile males behaved in exactly the same way as adults). Experiment 3 directly compared the performance of 90- and 30-day old females and found that while the adult females preferred to solve the task using the landmark, the reverse was true in juvenile females. Experiment 4 compared ovariectomized and sham operated females and found that while sham operated females preferred to solve the task using the landmark, the reverse was true in ovariectomized females. Finally, Experiment 5 directly compared adult males and females, juvenile males and females, and ovariectomized females and found that adult males, juvenile males and females, and ovariectomized females did not differ among them in their preferred cue, but they all differed from adult females.
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Mak GK, Antle MC, Dyck RH, Weiss S. Bi-parental care contributes to sexually dimorphic neural cell genesis in the adult mammalian brain. PLoS One 2013; 8:e62701. [PMID: 23650527 PMCID: PMC3641101 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0062701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2012] [Accepted: 03/25/2013] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Early life events can modulate brain development to produce persistent physiological and behavioural phenotypes that are transmissible across generations. However, whether neural precursor cells are altered by early life events, to produce persistent and transmissible behavioural changes, is unknown. Here, we show that bi-parental care, in early life, increases neural cell genesis in the adult rodent brain in a sexually dimorphic manner. Bi-parentally raised male mice display enhanced adult dentate gyrus neurogenesis, which improves hippocampal neurogenesis-dependent learning and memory. Female mice display enhanced adult white matter oligodendrocyte production, which increases proficiency in bilateral motor coordination and preference for social investigation. Surprisingly, single parent-raised male and female offspring, whose fathers and mothers received bi-parental care, respectively, display a similar enhancement in adult neural cell genesis and phenotypic behaviour. Therefore, neural plasticity and behavioural effects due to bi-parental care persist throughout life and are transmitted to the next generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gloria K. Mak
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Department of Cell Biology & Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Michael C. Antle
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Richard H. Dyck
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Department of Cell Biology & Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Samuel Weiss
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Department of Cell Biology & Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- * E-mail:
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Kajbaf F, Ahmadi R, Fatemi Tabatabaie R, Safarpoor E. Effect of intrahippocampal ghrelin agonist administration on passive avoidance learning and anxiety in rats. Pak J Biol Sci 2012; 15:1063-1068. [PMID: 24261121 DOI: 10.3923/pjbs.2012.1063.1068] [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] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Hippocampus, amygdala and dorsal raphe nucleus are the cerebral main structures involved in learning, memory and anxiety. Ghrelin increases the level of several hormones in these structures and affects learning, memory and anxiety-like behaviors. This study was performed to investigate the effect of ghrelin agonist on passive avoidance learning and anxiety in adult female rats in the presence and absence of ovary hormones. Five groups of rats, including control group with no injections, ovariectomized groups; one group receiving normal saline and other group receiving ghrelin agonist solution, surgery shocked (sham operated) groups; one group receiving saline and other group ghrelin agonist solution, were tested. Inside stereotaxis apparatus, two sided CA1 cannulae were used and 1 microL of saline or ghrelin agonist solution, at 3 nmol microL(-1) concentration, was injected into each cannula. Passive avoidance learning was measured by using shuttle box and anxiety by elevated plus- maze. Ghrelin agonist increased the level of learning in surgery shocked group in comparison with control group. Anxiety-like behavior was seen in both ovariectomized and surgery shocked groups. Ghrelin agonist binds its own receptors in the hippocampus, thereby increases learning capability and induces anxiety-like behaviors. Proper management of these behaviors might be useful in controlling some forms of nervous system diseases in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Kajbaf
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Qom, Iran
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43
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Shors TJ. Opposite effects of stressful experience on memory formation in males versus females. DIALOGUES IN CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCE 2012. [PMID: 22033590 PMCID: PMC3181678 DOI: 10.31887/dcns.2002.4.2/tshors] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
It has become increasingly clear that males and females differ even more dramatically than we previously thought. Not only do they exhibit differing responses to stress and environmental experience, but they can also respond in opposite directions. In rats, it has been shown that exposure to an acute stressful event can enhance subsequent learning in males while dramatically impairing learning in females. These opposite effects of stress on memory formation are accompanied by similarly opposite effects on neuroanatomical measures, such as dendritic spines in the hippocampal formation. Moreover, these opposite effects of stress are mediated by different hormonal systems between the sexes. These unique responses to stressful experience in male versus female rats may be used to model sex differences in mental illness, such as those that exist for depression and posttraumatic stress disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tracey J Shors
- Department of Psychology, Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
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44
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Attention and memory in aged rats: Impact of lifelong environmental enrichment. Neurobiol Aging 2011; 32:718-36. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2009.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2008] [Revised: 02/02/2009] [Accepted: 03/24/2009] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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45
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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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46
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Pompili A, Tomaz C, Arnone B, Tavares MC, Gasbarri A. Working and reference memory across the estrous cycle of rat: A long-term study in gonadally intact females. Behav Brain Res 2010; 213:10-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2010.04.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2009] [Revised: 04/08/2010] [Accepted: 04/13/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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47
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Influence of different estrogens on neuroplasticity and cognition in the hippocampus. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2010; 1800:1056-67. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2010.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2009] [Revised: 01/13/2010] [Accepted: 01/16/2010] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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48
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Bimonte-Nelson HA, Acosta JI, Talboom JS. Neuroscientists as cartographers: mapping the crossroads of gonadal hormones, memory and age using animal models. Molecules 2010; 15:6050-105. [PMID: 20877209 PMCID: PMC3126862 DOI: 10.3390/molecules15096050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2010] [Revised: 08/24/2010] [Accepted: 08/30/2010] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive function is multidimensional and complex, and research in multiple species indicates it is considerably impacted by age and gonadal hormone milieu. One domain of cognitive function particularly susceptible to age-related decrements is spatial memory. Gonadal hormones can alter spatial memory, and they are potent modulators of brain microstructure and function in many of the same brain areas affected by aging. In this paper, we review decades of animal and human literature to support a tertiary model representing interactions between gonadal hormones, spatial cognition and age given that: 1) gonadal hormones change with age, 2) age impacts spatial learning and memory, and 3) gonadal hormones impact spatial learning and memory. While much has been discovered regarding these individual tenets, the compass for future aging research points toward clarifying the interactions that exist between these three points, and understanding mediating variables. Indeed, identifying and aligning the various components of the complex interactions between these tenets, including evaluations using basic science, systems, and clinical perspectives, is the optimal approach to attempt to converge the many findings that may currently appear contradictory. In fact, as discoveries are being made it is becoming clear that the findings across studies that appear contradictory are not contradictory at all. Rather, there are mediating variables that are influencing outcome and affecting the extent, and even the direction, of the effects that gonadal hormones have on cognition during aging. These mediating variables are just starting to be understood. By aligning basic scientific discoveries with clinical interpretations, we can maximize the opportunities for discoveries and subsequent interventions to allow individuals to "optimize their aging" and find their own map to cognitive health as aging ensues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather A. Bimonte-Nelson
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
- Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium, Phoenix, AZ 85006, USA; E-Mails: (J.I.A.); (J.S.T.)
| | - Jazmin I. Acosta
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
- Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium, Phoenix, AZ 85006, USA; E-Mails: (J.I.A.); (J.S.T.)
| | - Joshua S. Talboom
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
- Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium, Phoenix, AZ 85006, USA; E-Mails: (J.I.A.); (J.S.T.)
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49
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Baldan Ramsey LC, Pittenger C. Cued and spatial learning in the water maze: equivalent learning in male and female mice. Neurosci Lett 2010; 483:148-51. [PMID: 20691760 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2010.07.082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2010] [Revised: 07/27/2010] [Accepted: 07/29/2010] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Mammals navigate a complex environment using a variety of strategies, which can operate in parallel and even compete with one another. We have recently described a variant water maze task in which two of these strategies, hippocampus-dependent spatial learning and striatum-dependent cued learning, can be dissociated. Male rodents perform better at some spatial learning tasks, while female rodents more readily learn certain striatum-dependent behavioral strategies. We therefore predicted that sex would differentially influence spatial and cued learning in the water maze. We trained adult male and female C57Bl/6 mice for 7 days in the two-cue variant of the water maze, with probe trials on days 5 and 7. In two independent experiments, males and females performed similarly, with both groups showing good spatial learning after 5 and 7 days of training, and both groups showing trend-level cued learning after 5 days and robust learning after 7. Therefore, contrary to our hypothesis, sex does not significantly affect cued or spatial learning in this task.
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50
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McLaughlin KJ, Wilson JO, Harman J, Wright RL, Wieczorek LA, Gomez J, Korol DL, Conrad CD. Chronic 17beta-estradiol or cholesterol prevents stress-induced hippocampal CA3 dendritic retraction in ovariectomized female rats: possible correspondence between CA1 spine properties and spatial acquisition. Hippocampus 2010; 20:768-86. [PMID: 19650122 PMCID: PMC2878912 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.20678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Chronic stress may have different effects on hippocampal CA3 and CA1 neuronal morphology and function depending upon hormonal status, but rarely are manipulations of stress and gonadal steroids combined. Experiment 1 investigated the effects of chronic restraint and 17beta-estradiol replacement on CA3 and CA1 dendritic morphology and spatial learning in ovariectomized (OVX) female Sprague-Dawley rats. OVX rats were implanted with 25% 17beta-estradiol, 100% cholesterol, or blank silastic capsules and then chronically restrained (6h/d/21d) or kept in home cages. 17beta-Estradiol or cholesterol prevented stress-induced CA3 dendritic retraction, increased CA1 apical spine density, and altered CA1 spine shape. The combination of chronic stress and 17beta-estradiol facilitated water maze acquisition compared to chronic stress + blank implants and nonstressed controls + 17beta-estradiol. To further investigate the interaction between 17beta-estradiol and stress on hippocampal morphology, experiment 2 was conducted on gonadally intact, cycling female rats that were chronically restrained (6h/d/21d), and then euthanized at proestrus (high ovarian hormones) or estrus (low ovarian hormones). Cycling female rats failed to show chronic stress-induced CA3 dendritic retraction at either estrous phase. Chronic stress enhanced the ratio of CA1 basal spine heads to headless spines as found in experiment 1. In addition, proestrous rats displayed increased CA1 spine density regardless of stress history. These results show that 17beta-estradiol or cholesterol protect against chronic stress-induced CA3 dendritic retraction in females. These stress- and 17beta-estradiol-induced morphological changes may provide insight into how dendritic complexity and spine properties contribute to spatial ability.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jessica O. Wilson
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287-1104
| | - James Harman
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287-1104
| | - Ryan L. Wright
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287-1104
| | - Lindsay A. Wieczorek
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287-1104
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801
| | - Juan Gomez
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287-1104
| | - Donna L. Korol
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801
| | - Cheryl D. Conrad
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287-1104
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