1
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Chen Y, Vats A, Xi Y, Wolf-Johnston A, Clinger O, Arbuckle R, Dermond C, Li J, Stolze D, Sahel JA, Jackson E, Birder L. Oral 8-aminoguanine against age-related retinal degeneration. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-4022389. [PMID: 38765984 PMCID: PMC11100887 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4022389/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Visual decline in the elderly is often attributed to retinal aging, which predisposes the tissue to pathologies such as age-related macular degeneration. Currently, effective oral pharmacological interventions for retinal degeneration are limited. We present a novel oral intervention, 8-aminoguanine (8-AG), targeting age-related retinal degeneration, utilizing the aged Fischer 344 rat model. A low-dose 8-AG regimen (5 mg/kg body weight) via drinking water, beginning at 22 months for 8 weeks, demonstrated significant retinal preservation. This was evidenced by increased retinal thickness, improved photoreceptor integrity, and enhanced electroretinogram responses. 8-AG effectively reduced apoptosis, oxidative damage, and microglial/macrophage activation associated with aging retinae. Age-induced alterations in the retinal purine metabolome, characterized by elevated levels of inosine, hypoxanthine, and xanthine, were partially mitigated by 8-AG. Transcriptomics highlighted 8-AG's anti-inflammatory effects on innate and adaptive immune responses. Extended treatment to 17 weeks further amplified the retinal protective effects. Moreover, 8-AG showed temporary protective effects in the RhoP23H/+ mouse model of retinitis pigmentosa, reducing active microglia/macrophages. Our study positions 8-AG as a promising oral agent against retinal aging. Coupled with previous findings in diverse disease models, 8-AG emerges as a promising anti-aging compound with the capability to reverse common aging hallmarks.
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2
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Cooper CP, Cheng L, Bhatti J, Melendez ER, Huell D, Banuelos C, Perez E, Long JM, Rapp PR. Cerebellum Purkinje cell vulnerability in aged rats with memory impairment. J Comp Neurol 2024; 532:e25610. [PMID: 38605461 PMCID: PMC11027960 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
The cerebellum is involved in higher order cognitive function and is susceptible to age-related atrophy. However, limited evidence has directly examined the cerebellum's role in cognitive aging. To interrogate potential substrates of the relationship between cerebellar structure and memory in aging, here we target the Purkinje cells (PCs). The sole output neurons of the cerebellum, PC loss and/or degeneration underlie a variety of behavioral abnormalities. Using a rat model of normal cognitive aging, we immunostained sections through the cerebellum for the PC-specific protein, calbindin-D28k. Although morphometric quantification revealed no significant difference in total PC number as a function of age or cognitive status, regional cell number was a more robust correlate of memory performance in the young cerebellum than in aged animals. Parallel biochemical analysis of PC-specific protein levels in whole cerebellum additionally revealed that calbindin-D28k and Purkinje cell protein-2 (pcp-2) levels were lower selectively in aged rats with spatial memory impairment compared to both young animals and aged rats with intact memory. These results suggest that cognitive aging is associated with cerebellum vulnerability, potentially reflecting disruption of the cerebellum-medial temporal lobe network.
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Affiliation(s)
- C’iana P. Cooper
- Neurocognitive Aging Section, Laboratory of Behavioral
Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Liam Cheng
- Neurocognitive Aging Section, Laboratory of Behavioral
Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Jafar Bhatti
- Neurocognitive Aging Section, Laboratory of Behavioral
Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Edward R. Melendez
- Neurocognitive Aging Section, Laboratory of Behavioral
Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Derek Huell
- Neurocognitive Aging Section, Laboratory of Behavioral
Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Cristina Banuelos
- Neurocognitive Aging Section, Laboratory of Behavioral
Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Evelyn Perez
- Neurocognitive Aging Section, Laboratory of Behavioral
Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Jeffrey M. Long
- Neurocognitive Aging Section, Laboratory of Behavioral
Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Peter R. Rapp
- Neurocognitive Aging Section, Laboratory of Behavioral
Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, Maryland
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3
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Scognamiglio S, Aljohani YM, Olson TT, Forcelli PA, Dezfuli G, Kellar KJ. Restoration of norepinephrine release, cognitive performance, and dendritic spines by amphetamine in aged rat brain. Aging Cell 2024; 23:e14087. [PMID: 38332648 PMCID: PMC11019150 DOI: 10.1111/acel.14087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Age-related dysfunctions in specific neurotransmitter systems likely play an important role in cognitive decline even in its most subtle forms. Therefore, preservation or improvement of cognition via augmentation of neurotransmission is a potential therapeutic strategy to prevent further cognitive deficits. Here we identified a particular neuronal vulnerability in the aged Fischer 344 rat brain, an animal model of neurocognitive aging. Specifically, we demonstrated a marked impairment in glutamate-stimulated release of norepinephrine (NE) in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex of aged rats, and established that this release was mediated by N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. Further, we also demonstrated that this decrease in NE release is fully rescued by the psychostimulant drug amphetamine (AMPH). Moreover, we showed that AMPH increases dendritic spine maturation, and importantly shows preclinical efficacy in restoring memory deficits in the aged rat through its actions to potentiate NE neurotransmission at β-adrenergic receptors. Taken together, our results suggest that deficits in glutamate-stimulated release of NE may contribute to and possibly be a determinant of neuronal vulnerability underlying cognitive decline during aging, and that these deficits can be corrected with currently available drugs. Overall these studies suggest that repurposing of psychostimulants for age-associated cognitive deficits is a potential avenue to delay or prevent cognitive decline and/or frank dementia later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Scognamiglio
- Department of Pharmacology & PhysiologyGeorgetown University Medical CenterWashington, DCUSA
| | - Yousef M. Aljohani
- Department of Pharmacology & PhysiologyGeorgetown University Medical CenterWashington, DCUSA
| | - Thao T. Olson
- Department of Pharmacology & PhysiologyGeorgetown University Medical CenterWashington, DCUSA
| | - Patrick A. Forcelli
- Department of Pharmacology & PhysiologyGeorgetown University Medical CenterWashington, DCUSA
| | - Ghazaul Dezfuli
- Department of Pharmacology & PhysiologyGeorgetown University Medical CenterWashington, DCUSA
| | - Kenneth J. Kellar
- Department of Pharmacology & PhysiologyGeorgetown University Medical CenterWashington, DCUSA
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4
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Portero-Tresserra M, Galofré-López N, Pallares E, Gimenez-Montes C, Barcia C, Granero R, Rojic-Becker D, Vale-Martínez A, Martí-Nicolovius M, Guillazo-Blanch G. Effects of Caloric Restriction on Spatial Object Recognition Memory, Hippocampal Neuron Loss and Neuroinflammation in Aged Rats. Nutrients 2023; 15:nu15071572. [PMID: 37049417 PMCID: PMC10096994 DOI: 10.3390/nu15071572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Age-related neurobiological changes significantly affect hippocampal structure and function, such that the main cognitive impairments associated with aging are related to the integrity of this brain structure, including the deterioration in spatial object recognition (SOR) memory. Previous studies have shown that intrinsic factors such as neuroinflammation, as well as lifestyle factors such as diet, can affect aging-associated brain functions and cognitive performance. In this regard, caloric restriction (CR) produces beneficial effects on health and life expectancy, although its ability to slow down age-dependent effects on cognitive decline and hippocampus (HPC) functioning remains unclear. Therefore, we set out to evaluate the effects of CR on SOR memory in aged male Wistar rats, as well as those on hippocampal neuron loss, neurogenesis and inflammation. The data show that CR in aged rats attenuates the decline in SOR memory, age-associated hippocampal neuron loss, and age-dependent microglial activation. Furthermore, we found a significant reduction in neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus of the old animals relative to adult rats. These findings support the positive effect of CR on SOR memory, suggesting that it dampens hippocampal neuronal loss and reduces proinflammatory activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Portero-Tresserra
- Departament de Psicobiologia i Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Neus Galofré-López
- Departament de Psicobiologia i Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elisabet Pallares
- Departament de Psicobiologia i Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Claudia Gimenez-Montes
- Departament de Psicobiologia i Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carlos Barcia
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Roser Granero
- Departament de Psicobiologia i Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
- Ciber Fisiopatología Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBERObn), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Psychoneurobiology of Eating and Addictive Behaviors Group, Neurosciences Programme, Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research (IDIBELL), 08908 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Divka Rojic-Becker
- Departament de Psicobiologia i Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anna Vale-Martínez
- Departament de Psicobiologia i Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Margarita Martí-Nicolovius
- Departament de Psicobiologia i Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gemma Guillazo-Blanch
- Departament de Psicobiologia i Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
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Fowler C, Goerzen D, Madularu D, Devenyi GA, Chakravarty MM, Near J. Longitudinal characterization of neuroanatomical changes in the Fischer 344 rat brain during normal aging and between sexes. Neurobiol Aging 2022; 109:216-228. [PMID: 34775212 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2021.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Animal models are widely used to study the pathophysiology of disease and to evaluate the efficacy of novel interventions, crucial steps towards improving disease outcomes in humans. The Fischer 344 (F344) wildtype rat is a common experimental background strain for transgenic models of disease and is one of the most frequently used models in aging research. Despite frequency of use, characterization of agerelated neuroanatomical change has not been performed in the F344 rat. To this end, we present a comprehensive longitudinal examination of morphometric change in 73 brain regions and at a voxel-wise level during normative aging in vivo in a mixed-sexcohort of F344 rats. We identified the greatest vulnerability to aging within the cortex, caudoputamen, hindbrain, and internal capsule, while the influence of sex was strongest in the caudoputamen, hippocampus, nucleus accumbens, and thalamus, many of which are implicated in memory and motor control circuits frequently affected by aging and neurodegenerative disease. These findings provide a baseline for neuroanatomical changes associated with aging in male and female F344 rats, to which data from transgenic models or other background strains can be compared.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin Fowler
- Department of Biological and Biomedical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Centre d'Imagerie Cérébrale, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
| | - Dana Goerzen
- Centre d'Imagerie Cérébrale, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
| | - Dan Madularu
- Centre d'Imagerie Cérébrale, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Center for Translational NeuroImaging, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Gabriel A Devenyi
- Centre d'Imagerie Cérébrale, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - M Mallar Chakravarty
- Department of Biological and Biomedical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Centre d'Imagerie Cérébrale, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jamie Near
- Department of Biological and Biomedical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Centre d'Imagerie Cérébrale, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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Finesso GE, McDevitt RA, Roy R, Brinster LR, Di Francesco A, Meade T, de Cabo R, Ferrucci L, Perdue KA. Impact of large granular lymphocyte leukemia on blood DNA methylation and epigenetic clock modeling in Fischer 344 rats. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2021; 77:956-963. [PMID: 34718551 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glab328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Age-dependent differences in methylation at specific cytosine-guanosine sites (CpGs) have been used in "epigenetic clock" formulas to predict age. Deviations of epigenetic age from chronological age are informative of health status and are associated with adverse health outcomes, including mortality. In most cases, epigenetic clocks are performed on methylation from DNA extracted from circulating blood cells. However, the effect of neoplastic cells in the circulation on estimation and interpretation of epigenetic clocks is not well understood. Here, we explored this using Fischer 344 (F344) rats, a strain that often develops large granular lymphocyte leukemia (LGL). We found clear histological markers of LGL pathology in the spleens and livers of 27 out of 61 rats aged 17-27 months. We assessed DNA methylation by reduced representation bisulfite sequencing with coverage of 3 million cytosine residues. Although LGL broadly increased DNA methylation variability, it did not change epigenetic aging. Despite this, inclusion of rats with LGL in clock training sets significantly altered predictor selection probability at 83 of 121 commonly utilized CpGs. Furthermore, models trained on rat samples that included individuals with LGL had greater absolute age error than those trained exclusively on LGL-free rats (39% increase; p<0.0001). We conclude that the epigenetic signals for aging and LGL are distinct, such that LGL assessment is not necessary for valid measures of epigenetic age in F344 rats. The precision and architecture of constructed epigenetic clock formulas, however, can be influenced by the presence of neoplastic hematopoietic cells in training set populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni E Finesso
- Comparative Medicine Section, National Institute on Aging - Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD
| | - Ross A McDevitt
- Comparative Medicine Section, National Institute on Aging - Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD
| | - Roshni Roy
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Immunology, National Institute on Aging - Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD
| | - Lauren R Brinster
- Office of Research Services, Division of Veterinary Resources, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Andrea Di Francesco
- Translational Gerontology Branch, National Institute on Aging - Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD.,Calico Life Sciences, South San Francisco, CA
| | - Theresa Meade
- Comparative Medicine Section, National Institute on Aging - Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD
| | - Rafael de Cabo
- Translational Gerontology Branch, National Institute on Aging - Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD
| | - Luigi Ferrucci
- Translational Gerontology Branch, National Institute on Aging - Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD
| | - Kathy A Perdue
- Comparative Medicine Section, National Institute on Aging - Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD
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7
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Rojic-Becker D, Portero-Tresserra M, Martí-Nicolovius M, Vale-Martínez A, Guillazo-Blanch G. Effects of caloric restriction on monoaminergic neurotransmission, peripheral hormones, and olfactory memory in aged rats. Behav Brain Res 2021; 409:113328. [PMID: 33930470 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2020] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Aging is associated with a reduced ability to identify and discriminate scents, and olfactory dysfunction has been linked to preclinical stages of neurodegenerative diseases in humans. Moreover, emerging evidence suggests that smell-driven behaviors are regulated by hormones like insulin or leptin, and by metabolic parameters like glucose, which in turn may influence monoaminergic neurotransmission in brain areas related to cognition. Several studies have suggested that dietary interventions like caloric restriction (CR) can mitigate the age-induced decline in memory by modifying metabolic parameters and brain monoaminergic levels. The present study explored the effects of CR on age-dependent olfactory memory deficits, as well as their relationship with peripheral leptin, insulin and glucose levels, and brain monoamines. To this end, aged rats (24-months-old) fed on a CR diet or with ad libitum access to food, and adult rats (3-4 months), were trained in an odor discrimination task (ODT). The peripheral plasma levels of insulin, leptin, and glucose, and of monoamines and metabolites/precursors in brain areas related to olfactory learning and memory processes, such as the striatum and frontal cortex (FC), were determined. The data obtained indicated that CR attenuated the age-dependent decline in olfactory sensitivity in old animals fed ad libitum, which was correlated with the performance in ODT retention trial, as well as with leptin plasma levels. CR enhanced dopamine levels in the striatum, while it attenuated the age-related decline in serotonin levels in the striatum and FC. Such findings support a positive effect of CR on age-dependent olfactory sensitivity decline and dysfunctions in brain monoamine levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Divka Rojic-Becker
- Departament de Psicobiologia i Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Portero-Tresserra
- Departament de Psicobiologia i Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Margarita Martí-Nicolovius
- Departament de Psicobiologia i Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anna Vale-Martínez
- Departament de Psicobiologia i Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gemma Guillazo-Blanch
- Departament de Psicobiologia i Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
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8
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Buss EW, Corbett NJ, Roberts JG, Ybarra N, Musial TF, Simkin D, Molina-Campos E, Oh KJ, Nielsen LL, Ayala GD, Mullen SA, Farooqi AK, D'Souza GX, Hill CL, Bean LA, Rogalsky AE, Russo ML, Curlik DM, Antion MD, Weiss C, Chetkovich DM, Oh MM, Disterhoft JF, Nicholson DA. Cognitive aging is associated with redistribution of synaptic weights in the hippocampus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e1921481118. [PMID: 33593893 PMCID: PMC7923642 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1921481118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Behaviors that rely on the hippocampus are particularly susceptible to chronological aging, with many aged animals (including humans) maintaining cognition at a young adult-like level, but many others the same age showing marked impairments. It is unclear whether the ability to maintain cognition over time is attributable to brain maintenance, sufficient cognitive reserve, compensatory changes in network function, or some combination thereof. While network dysfunction within the hippocampal circuit of aged, learning-impaired animals is well-documented, its neurobiological substrates remain elusive. Here we show that the synaptic architecture of hippocampal regions CA1 and CA3 is maintained in a young adult-like state in aged rats that performed comparably to their young adult counterparts in both trace eyeblink conditioning and Morris water maze learning. In contrast, among learning-impaired, but equally aged rats, we found that a redistribution of synaptic weights amplifies the influence of autoassociational connections among CA3 pyramidal neurons, yet reduces the synaptic input onto these same neurons from the dentate gyrus. Notably, synapses within hippocampal region CA1 showed no group differences regardless of cognitive ability. Taking the data together, we find the imbalanced synaptic weights within hippocampal CA3 provide a substrate that can explain the abnormal firing characteristics of both CA3 and CA1 pyramidal neurons in aged, learning-impaired rats. Furthermore, our work provides some clarity with regard to how some animals cognitively age successfully, while others' lifespans outlast their "mindspans."
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric W Buss
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612
| | - Nicola J Corbett
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612
| | - Joshua G Roberts
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612
| | - Natividad Ybarra
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612
| | - Timothy F Musial
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612
| | - Dina Simkin
- Department of Physiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611
| | | | - Kwang-Jin Oh
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612
| | - Lauren L Nielsen
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612
| | - Gelique D Ayala
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612
| | - Sheila A Mullen
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612
| | - Anise K Farooqi
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612
| | - Gary X D'Souza
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612
| | - Corinne L Hill
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612
| | - Linda A Bean
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612
| | - Annalise E Rogalsky
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612
| | - Matthew L Russo
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612
| | - Dani M Curlik
- Department of Physiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611
| | - Marci D Antion
- Department of Physiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611
| | - Craig Weiss
- Department of Physiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611
| | - Dane M Chetkovich
- Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232
| | - M Matthew Oh
- Department of Physiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611
| | - John F Disterhoft
- Department of Physiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611;
| | - Daniel A Nicholson
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612;
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9
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Vázquez-Hernández N, Martínez-Torres NI, González-Burgos I. Plastic changes to dendritic spines in the cerebellar and prefrontal cortices underlie the decline in motor coordination and working memory during successful aging. Behav Brain Res 2020; 400:113014. [PMID: 33309738 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.113014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Old age is the last stage of life and by taking a multidimensional view of aging, Neuroscientists have been able to characterize pathological or successful aging. Psychomotor and cognitive performance are recognized as two major domains of successful aging, with a loss of motor coordination and working memory deficits two of the most characteristic features of elderly people. Dendritic spines in both the cerebellar and prefrontal cortices diminish in aging, yet the plastic changes in dendritic spines have not been related to behavioral performance neither the changes in the cerebellar or prefrontal cortices. As such, motor coordination and visuospatial working memory (vsWM) was evaluated here in aged, 22-month-old rats, calculating the density of spines and the proportion of the different types of spines. These animals performed erratically and slowly in a motor coordination-related paradigm, and the vsWM was resolved deficiently. Spine density was reduced in aged animals, and the proportional density of each of the spine types studied diminished in both the brain regions studied. The loss of dendritic spines and particularly, the changes in the proportional density of the different spine types could underlie, at least in part, the behavioral deficits observed during aging. To our knowledge, this is the first study of the plastic changes in different dendritic spine types that might underlie the behavioral alterations in motor and cognitive abilities associated with aging. Further neurochemical and molecular studies will help better understand the functional significance of the plastic changes to dendritic spines in both successful and pathological aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Vázquez-Hernández
- División de Neurociencias, Centro de Investigación Biomédica de Occidente, IMSS, Guadalajara, Jal, Mexico
| | - N I Martínez-Torres
- División de Neurociencias, Centro de Investigación Biomédica de Occidente, IMSS, Guadalajara, Jal, Mexico; Centro Universitario del Norte, Universidad de Guadalajara, Colotlán, Jal, Mexico
| | - I González-Burgos
- División de Neurociencias, Centro de Investigación Biomédica de Occidente, IMSS, Guadalajara, Jal, Mexico.
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10
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Pignolo RJ, Passos JF, Khosla S, Tchkonia T, Kirkland JL. Reducing Senescent Cell Burden in Aging and Disease. Trends Mol Med 2020; 26:630-638. [PMID: 32589933 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2020.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2019] [Revised: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 03/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Cellular senescence is a primary aging process and tumor suppressive mechanism characterized by irreversible growth arrest, apoptosis resistance, production of a senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), mitochondrial dysfunction, and alterations in DNA and chromatin. In preclinical aging models, accumulation of senescent cells is associated with multiple chronic diseases and disorders, geriatric syndromes, multimorbidity, and accelerated aging phenotypes. In animals, genetic and pharmacologic reduction of senescent cell burden results in the prevention, delay, and/or alleviation of a variety of aging-related diseases and sequelae. Early clinical trials have thus far focused on safety and target engagement of senolytic agents that clear senescent cells. We hypothesize that these pharmacologic interventions may have transformative effects on geriatric medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Pignolo
- Mayo Clinic Departments of Medicine, Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, and the Kogod Center on Aging, Rochester, MN, USA.
| | - João F Passos
- Mayo Clinic Departments of Medicine, Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, and the Kogod Center on Aging, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Sundeep Khosla
- Mayo Clinic Departments of Medicine, Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, and the Kogod Center on Aging, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Tamara Tchkonia
- Mayo Clinic Departments of Medicine, Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, and the Kogod Center on Aging, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - James L Kirkland
- Mayo Clinic Departments of Medicine, Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, and the Kogod Center on Aging, Rochester, MN, USA
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11
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Low KL, Tomm RJ, Ma C, Tobiansky DJ, Floresco SB, Soma KK. Effects of aging on testosterone and androgen receptors in the mesocorticolimbic system of male rats. Horm Behav 2020; 120:104689. [PMID: 31954104 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2019] [Revised: 11/23/2019] [Accepted: 01/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
As males age, systemic testosterone (T) levels decline. T regulates executive function, a collection of cognitive processes that are mediated by the mesocorticolimbic system. Here, we examined young adult (5 months) and aged (22 months) male Fischer 344 × Brown Norway rats, and measured systemic T levels in serum and local T levels in microdissected nodes of the mesocorticolimbic system (ventral tegmental area (VTA), nucleus accumbens (NAc), medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC)). We also measured androgen receptor (AR) immunoreactivity (-ir) in the mesocorticolimbic system. As expected, systemic T levels decreased with age. Local T levels in mesocorticolimbic regions - except the VTA - also decreased with age. Mesocorticolimbic T levels were higher than serum T levels at both ages. AR-ir was present in the VTA, NAc, mPFC, and OFC and decreased with age in the mPFC. Taken together with previous results, the data suggest that changes in androgen signaling may contribute to changes in executive function during aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katelyn L Low
- Department of Psychology and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Ryan J Tomm
- Department of Psychology and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Chunqi Ma
- Department of Psychology and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Daniel J Tobiansky
- Department of Psychology and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Stan B Floresco
- Department of Psychology and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Kiran K Soma
- Department of Psychology and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
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12
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Tryon VL, Baker PM, Long JM, Rapp PR, Mizumori SJY. Loss of Sensitivity to Rewards by Dopamine Neurons May Underlie Age-Related Increased Probability Discounting. Front Aging Neurosci 2020; 12:49. [PMID: 32210784 PMCID: PMC7067703 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2020.00049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Normative aging is known to affect how decisions are made in risky situations. Although important individual variability exists, on average, aging is accompanied by greater risk aversion. Here the behavioral and neural mechanisms of greater risk aversion were examined in young and old rats trained on an instrumental probability discounting task. Consistent with the literature, old rats showed greater discounting of reward value when the probability of obtaining rewards dropped below 100%. Behaviorally, reward magnitude discrimination was the same between young and old rats, and yet these same rats exhibited reduced sensitivity to positive, but not negative, choice outcomes. The latter behavioral result was congruent with additional findings that the aged ventral tegmental neurons (including dopamine cells) were less responsive to rewards when compared to the same cell types recorded from young animals. In sum, it appears that reduced responses of dopamine neurons to rewards contribute to aging-related changes in risky decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerie L Tryon
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Phillip M Baker
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Jeffrey M Long
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, Neurocognitive Aging Section, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Peter R Rapp
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, Neurocognitive Aging Section, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Sheri J Y Mizumori
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States.,Program in Neuroscience, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
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13
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Rojic-Becker D, Portero-Tresserra M, Martí-Nicolovius M, Vale-Martínez A, Guillazo-Blanch G. Caloric restriction modulates the monoaminergic and glutamatergic systems in the hippocampus, and attenuates age-dependent spatial memory decline. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2019; 166:107107. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2019.107107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2019] [Revised: 10/29/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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14
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Fuellen G, Jansen L, Cohen AA, Luyten W, Gogol M, Simm A, Saul N, Cirulli F, Berry A, Antal P, Köhling R, Wouters B, Möller S. Health and Aging: Unifying Concepts, Scores, Biomarkers and Pathways. Aging Dis 2019; 10:883-900. [PMID: 31440392 PMCID: PMC6675520 DOI: 10.14336/ad.2018.1030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2018] [Accepted: 10/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite increasing research efforts, there is a lack of consensus on defining aging or health. To understand the underlying processes, and to foster the development of targeted interventions towards increasing one's health, there is an urgent need to find a broadly acceptable and useful definition of health, based on a list of (molecular) features; to operationalize features of health so that it can be measured; to identify predictive biomarkers and (molecular) pathways of health; and to suggest interventions, such as nutrition and exercise, targeted at putative causal pathways and processes. Based on a survey of the literature, we propose to define health as a state of an individual characterized by the core features of physiological, cognitive, physical and reproductive function, and a lack of disease. We further define aging as the aggregate of all processes in an individual that reduce its wellbeing, that is, its health or survival or both. We define biomarkers of health by their attribute of predicting future health better than chronological age. We define healthspan pathways as molecular features of health that relate to each other by belonging to the same molecular pathway. Our conceptual framework may integrate diverse operationalizations of health and guide precision prevention efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georg Fuellen
- Rostock University Medical Center, Institute for Biostatistics and Informatics in Medicine and Aging Research (IBIMA), Rostock, Germany.
| | - Ludger Jansen
- Institute of Philosophy, University of Rostock, Germany.
| | - Alan A Cohen
- Department of Family Medicine, University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Canada.
| | - Walter Luyten
- KU Leuven, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Manfred Gogol
- Institute of Gerontology, University Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Andreas Simm
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Medical Faculty, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany.
| | - Nadine Saul
- Humboldt-University of Berlin, Institute of Biology, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Francesca Cirulli
- Center for Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Italy.
| | - Alessandra Berry
- Center for Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Italy.
| | - Peter Antal
- Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Budapest, Hungary.
- Abiomics Europe Ltd., Hungary.
| | - Rüdiger Köhling
- Rostock University Medical Center, Institute for Physiology, Rostock, Germany.
| | | | - Steffen Möller
- Rostock University Medical Center, Institute for Biostatistics and Informatics in Medicine and Aging Research (IBIMA), Rostock, Germany.
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15
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Neuwirth LS, Masood S, Anderson DW, Schneider JS. The attention set-shifting test is sensitive for revealing sex-based impairments in executive functions following developmental lead exposure in rats. Behav Brain Res 2019; 366:126-134. [PMID: 30878351 PMCID: PMC6732195 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.03.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2018] [Revised: 02/22/2019] [Accepted: 03/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The literature on lead (Pb) exposure has focused in large part on hippocampal-based learning and memory deficits, although frontoexecutive dysfunctions are known to exist in Pb-exposed humans. This study examined the effects of perinatal (PERI) and early postnatal (EPN) developmental low-level Pb-exposures in rats on frontoexecutive functions, using the Attention Set-Shift Test (ASST). Control males and females performed the ASST similarly. Male EPN rats had difficulty with simple discrimination (SD) of odors and failed to complete the compound discrimination (CD) stage of the ASST. All other Pb-exposed rats completed the training and testing. Male PERI rats performed worse on the SD, intradimensional (ID), and intradimensional-reversal (ID-Rev) ASST stages when compared to male Control rats. Female EPN rats performed similar to Controls on the ID-Rev rats, whereas PERI rats performed better the trials-to-criterion on the ID-Rev than EPN and Control rats. Pb-exposed female rats had significant difficulty performing the ED/ED-Rev stages, with the number of trials-to-criterion double that required by Pb-exposed and Control male rats and Control female rats. Together, the ASST results showed that developmental Pb-exposure induces frontoexecutive dysfunction that persists into adulthood, with different sex-based vulnerabilities dependent upon the time-period of neurotoxicant exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenz S Neuwirth
- Department of Psychology, SUNY Old Westbury, Old Westbury, NY 11568, United States; SUNY Neuroscience Research Institute, SUNY Old Westbury, Old Westbury NY 11568, United States; Department of Pathology, Anatomy & Cell Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, United States.
| | - Sidrah Masood
- Department of Psychology, SUNY Old Westbury, Old Westbury, NY 11568, United States; SUNY Neuroscience Research Institute, SUNY Old Westbury, Old Westbury NY 11568, United States
| | - David W Anderson
- Department of Pathology, Anatomy & Cell Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, United States
| | - Jay S Schneider
- Department of Pathology, Anatomy & Cell Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, United States
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16
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Marrero-Rosado B, Rossetti F, Rice MW, Moffett MC, Lee RB, Stone MF, Lumley LA. Age-Related Susceptibility to Epileptogenesis and Neuronal Loss in Male Fischer Rats Exposed to Soman and Treated With Medical Countermeasures. Toxicol Sci 2019; 164:142-152. [PMID: 29596688 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfy065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Elderly individuals compose a large percentage of the world population; however, few studies have addressed the efficacy of current medical countermeasures (MCMs) against the effects of chemical warfare nerve agent exposure in aged populations. We evaluated the efficacy of the anticonvulsant diazepam in an old adult rat model of soman (GD) poisoning and compared the toxic effects to those observed in young adult rats when anticonvulsant treatment is delayed. After determining their respective median lethal dose (LD50) of GD, we exposed young adult and old adult rats to an equitoxic 1.2 LD50 dose of GD followed by treatment with atropine sulfate and the oxime HI-6 at 1 min after exposure, and diazepam at 30 min after seizure onset. Old adult rats that presented with status epilepticus were more susceptible to developing spontaneous recurrent seizures (SRSs). Neuropathological analysis revealed that in rats of both age groups that developed SRS, there was a significant reduction in the density of mature neurons in the piriform cortex, thalamus, and amygdala, with more pronounced neuronal loss in the thalamus of old adult rats compared with young adult rats. Furthermore, old adult rats displayed a reduced density of cells expressing glutamic acid decarboxylase 67, a marker of GABAergic interneurons, in the basolateral amygdala and piriform cortex, and a reduction of astrocyte activation in the piriform cortex. Our observations demonstrate the reduced effectiveness of current MCM in an old adult animal model of GD exposure and strongly suggest the need for countermeasures that are more tailored to the vulnerabilities of an aging population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brenda Marrero-Rosado
- US Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland 21010
| | - Franco Rossetti
- Center for Military Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910
| | - Matthew W Rice
- US Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland 21010
| | - Mark C Moffett
- US Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland 21010
| | - Robyn B Lee
- US Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland 21010
| | - Michael F Stone
- US Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland 21010
| | - Lucille A Lumley
- US Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland 21010
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17
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Zamzow DR, Elias V, Acosta VA, Escobedo E, Magnusson KR. Higher Levels of Protein Palmitoylation in the Frontal Cortex across Aging Were Associated with Reference Memory and Executive Function Declines. eNeuro 2019; 6:ENEURO.0310-18.2019. [PMID: 30740518 PMCID: PMC6366935 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0310-18.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2018] [Revised: 01/04/2019] [Accepted: 01/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive decline with aging is often due to altered levels of protein expression. The NMDA receptor (NMDAR) and the complex of proteins surrounding the receptor are susceptible to age-related changes in expression. In the frontal cortex of aged mice, there is a significant loss of expression of the GluN2B subunit of the NMDAR, an increase in Fyn expression, and no change in PSD-95. Studies have also found that, in the frontal cortex, phosphorylation of GluN2B subunits and palmitoylation of GluN2 subunits and NMDAR complex proteins are affected by age. In this study, we examined some of the factors that may lead to the differences in the palmitoylation levels of NMDAR complex proteins in the frontal cortex of aged animals. The Morris water maze was used to test spatial learning in 3- and 24-month-old mice. The acyl-biotinyl exchange method was used to precipitate palmitoylated proteins from the frontal cortices and hippocampi of the mice. Additionally, brain lysates from old and young mice were probed for the expression of fatty acid transporter proteins. An age-related increase of palmitoylated GluN2A, GluN2B, Fyn, PSD-95, and APT1 (acyl protein thioesterase 1) in the frontal cortex was associated with poorer reference memory and/or executive functions. These data suggest that there may be a perturbation in the palmitoylation cycle in the frontal cortex of aged mice that contributes to age-related cognitive declines.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Valerie Elias
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331
- Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331
| | - Varinia A. Acosta
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331
| | - Emily Escobedo
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331
| | - Kathy R. Magnusson
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331
- Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331
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18
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Lacreuse A, Parr L, Chennareddi L, Herndon JG. Age-related decline in cognitive flexibility in female chimpanzees. Neurobiol Aging 2018; 72:83-88. [PMID: 30237074 PMCID: PMC6215734 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2018.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2018] [Revised: 08/15/2018] [Accepted: 08/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Data on cognitive aging in chimpanzees are extremely sparse, yet can provide an invaluable phylogenetic perspective, especially because Alzheimer disease (AD)-like neuropathology has recently been described in the oldest chimpanzee brains. This finding underscores the importance of data on cognitive aging in this fellow hominin, our closest biological relative. We tested 30 female chimpanzees, 12-56 years old, on a computerized analog of the Wisconsin Card Sort test. This test assesses cognitive flexibility, which is severely impaired in normal aging and AD. Subjects selected stimuli according to color or shape; the rewarded dimension (i.e., color or shape) switched without warning and the chimpanzee had to adapt her responses accordingly. We found that increasing age was associated with an increased number of perseverative errors and an increased number of trials to reach criterion in each switching dimension. The number of aborted trials was similar across age groups. These data show that similar to humans, chimpanzees show a clear age-related decline in cognitive flexibility that is already observed at middle age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnès Lacreuse
- Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst MA, USA
| | - Lisa Parr
- Division of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Emory University, Atlanta GA, USA; Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta GA, USA
| | | | - James G Herndon
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta GA, USA; Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta GA, USA.
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19
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Workman KP, Healey B, Carlotto A, Lacreuse A. One-year change in cognitive flexibility and fine motor function in middle-aged male and female marmosets (Callithrix jacchus). Am J Primatol 2018; 81:e22924. [PMID: 30281810 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2018] [Revised: 09/07/2018] [Accepted: 09/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) is uniquely suited for longitudinal studies of cognitive aging, due to a relatively short lifespan, sophisticated cognitive abilities, and patterns of brain aging that resemble those of humans. We examined cognitive function and fine motor skills in male and female marmosets (mean age ∼5 at study entry) followed longitudinally for 2 years. Each year, monkeys were tested on a reversal learning task with three pairs of stimuli (n = 18, 9 females) and a fine motor task requiring them to grasp small rewards from two staircases (Hill and Valley test, n = 12, 6 females). There was little evidence for a decline in cognitive flexibility between the two time points, in part because of practice effects. However, independent of year of testing, females took longer than males to reach criterion in the reversals, indicating impaired cognitive flexibility. Motivation was unlikely to contribute to this effect, as males refused a greater percentage of trials than females in the reversals. With regards to motor function, females were significantly faster than males in the Hill and Valley task. From Year 1 to Year 2, a slight slowing of motor function was observed in both sexes, but accuracy decreased significantly in males only. This study (1) demonstrates that marmosets exhibit sex differences in cognitive flexibility and fine motor function that resemble those described in humans; (2) that changes in fine motor function can already be detected at middle-age; and (3) that males may experience greater age-related changes in fine motor skills than females. Additional data points will determine whether these sex and age differences persist over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn P Workman
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts
| | - Brianna Healey
- Neuroscience and Behavior Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts
| | - Alyssa Carlotto
- Neuroscience and Behavior Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts
| | - Agnès Lacreuse
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts.,Neuroscience and Behavior Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts.,Center for Neuroendocrine Studies, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts
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20
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Portero-Tresserra M, Martí-Nicolovius M, Tarrés-Gatius M, Candalija A, Guillazo-Blanch G, Vale-Martínez A. Intra-hippocampal D-cycloserine rescues decreased social memory, spatial learning reversal, and synaptophysin levels in aged rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2018; 235:1463-1477. [PMID: 29492616 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-018-4858-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2017] [Accepted: 02/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Aging is characterized by a decrease in N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) in the hippocampus, which might be one of the factors involved in the age-dependent cognitive decline. D-Cycloserine (DCS), a partial agonist of the NMDAR glycine recognition site, could improve memory deficits associated to neurodegenerative disorders and cognitive deficits observed in normal aging. OBJECTIVES AND METHODS The aim of the present study was to explore whether DCS would reverse age-dependent memory deficits and decreases in NMDA receptor subunits (GluN1, GluN2A, and GluN2B) and the presynaptic protein synaptophysin in Wistar rats. We investigated the effects of pre-training infusions of DCS (10 μg/hemisphere) in the ventral hippocampus on two hippocampal-dependent learning tasks, the social transmission of food preference (STFP), and the Morris water maze (MWM). RESULTS The results revealed that infusions of DCS administered before the acquisition sessions rescued deficits in the STFP retention and MWM reversal learning in old rats. DCS also significantly increased the hippocampal levels of synaptophysin in old rats, which correlated with STFP and MWM performance in all tests. Moreover, although the levels of the GluN1 subunit correlated with the MWM acquisition and reversal, DCS did not enhance the expression of such synaptic protein. CONCLUSIONS The present behavioral results support the role of DCS as a cognitive enhancer and suggest that enhancing the function of NMDARs and synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus may be related to improvement in social memory and spatial learning reversal in aged animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Portero-Tresserra
- Departament de Psicobiologia i Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Margarita Martí-Nicolovius
- Departament de Psicobiologia i Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Mireia Tarrés-Gatius
- Departament de Psicobiologia i Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ana Candalija
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gemma Guillazo-Blanch
- Departament de Psicobiologia i Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anna Vale-Martínez
- Departament de Psicobiologia i Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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21
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Miller MG, Thangthaeng N, Shukitt-Hale B. A Clinically Relevant Frailty Index for Aging Rats. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2017; 72:892-896. [PMID: 28329224 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glw338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2016] [Accepted: 01/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Frailty is a clinical syndrome that is increasingly prevalent during aging. Frailty involves the confluence of reduced strength, speed, physical activity, and endurance and is associated with adverse health outcomes. The present study adapts existing clinical and preclinical indices of frailty to the Fischer (F344) rat. Male F344 rats (n = 133; 17 mo) completed a battery of behavioral tasks, including forelimb wire suspension (strength), rotarod (speed), open field (physical activity), and inclined screen (endurance). Rats that performed poorly (lowest quintile) on two tasks were considered mildly frail (17.29%, n = 23), and rats that performed poorly on 3-4 tasks were considered frail (2.26%, n = 3). Logistic regression of 100-day survival revealed that mildly frail rats were 3.8 times and frail rats were 27.5 times more likely to die during that period than nonfrail rats (p = .038; 95% confidence interval: 2.030, 372.564). The selected criterion tests, cutoff points, and index provide a potential tool for identifying frailty in aged F344 rats, which is consistent with existing frailty indices for humans and mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marshall G Miller
- USDA-ARS, Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Nopporn Thangthaeng
- USDA-ARS, Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Barbara Shukitt-Hale
- USDA-ARS, Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts
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22
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Haberman RP, Branch A, Gallagher M. Targeting Neural Hyperactivity as a Treatment to Stem Progression of Late-Onset Alzheimer's Disease. Neurotherapeutics 2017; 14:662-676. [PMID: 28560709 PMCID: PMC5509635 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-017-0541-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Sporadic late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD), the most common form of dementia in the elderly, causes progressive and severe loss of cognitive abilities. With greater numbers of people living to advanced ages, LOAD will increasingly burden both the healthcare system and society. There are currently no available disease-modifying therapies, and the failure of several recent pathology-based strategies has highlighted the urgent need for effective therapeutic targets. With aging as the greatest risk factor for LOAD, targeting mechanisms by which aging contributes to disease could prove an effective strategy to delay progression to clinical dementia by intervention in elderly individuals in an early prodromal stage of disease. Excess neural activity in the hippocampus, a recently described phenomenon associated with age-dependent memory loss, was first identified in animal models of aging and subsequently translated to clinical conditions of aging and early-stage LOAD. Critically, elevated activity was similarly localized to specific circuits within the hippocampal formation in aged animals and humans. Here we review evidence for hippocampal hyperactivity as a significant contributor to age-dependent cognitive decline and the progressive accumulation of pathology in LOAD. We also describe studies demonstrating the efficacy of reducing hyperactivity with an initial test therapy, levetiracetam (Keppra), an atypical antiepileptic. By targeting excess neural activity, levetiracetam may improve cognition and attenuate the accumulation of pathology contributing to progression to the dementia phase of LOAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca P Haberman
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, 116 Dunning Hall, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA.
| | - Audrey Branch
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, 116 Dunning Hall, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Michela Gallagher
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, 116 Dunning Hall, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
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Gano A, Doremus-Fitzwater TL, Deak T. A cross-sectional comparison of ethanol-related cytokine expression in the hippocampus of young and aged Fischer 344 rats. Neurobiol Aging 2017; 54:40-53. [PMID: 28319836 PMCID: PMC5401774 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2017.01.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2016] [Revised: 01/02/2017] [Accepted: 01/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Our work in Sprague Dawley rats has shown rapid alterations in neuroimmune gene expression (RANGE) in the hippocampus and paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN). These manifest as increased interleukin (IL)-6 and IκBα, and suppressed IL-1β and tumor necrosis factor alpha during acute ethanol intoxication. The present studies tested these effects across the lifespan (young adulthood at 2-3 months; senescence at 18 and 24 months), as well as across strain (Fischer 344) and sex. The hippocampus revealed age-dependent shifts in cytokine expression (IL-6, IL-1β, and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1), but no changes were observed in the PVN at baseline or following ethanol. RANGE in adults was similar across sex and comparable with effects seen in Sprague Dawley rats. Plasma corticosterone levels increased with age, whereas the blood ethanol concentrations and loss of righting reflex were similar in all groups older than 2 months. These findings indicate that the RANGE effect is largely conserved across strain and is durable across age, even in the face of a shifting neuroimmune profile that emerges during immunosenescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anny Gano
- Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, USA
| | | | - Terrence Deak
- Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, USA.
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Comparing the Behavioural Effects of Exogenous Growth Hormone and Melatonin in Young and Old Wistar Rats. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2016; 2016:5863402. [PMID: 28050228 PMCID: PMC5165162 DOI: 10.1155/2016/5863402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2016] [Revised: 09/25/2016] [Accepted: 10/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Growth hormone (GH) and melatonin are two hormones with quite different physiological effects. Curiously, their secretion shows parallel and severe age-related reductions. This has promoted many reports for studying the therapeutic supplementation of both hormones in an attempt to avoid or delay the physical, physiological, and psychological decay observed in aged humans and in experimental animals. Interestingly, the effects of the external administration of low doses of GH and of melatonin were surprisingly similar, as both hormones caused significant improvements in the functional capabilities of aged subjects. The present report aims at discerning the eventual difference between cognitive and motor effects of the two hormones when administered to young and aged Wistar rats. The effects were tested in the radial maze, a test highly sensitive to the age-related impairments in working memory and also in the rotarod test, for evaluating the motor coordination. The results showed that both hormones caused clear improvements in both tasks. However, while GH improved the cognitive capacity and, most importantly, the physical stamina, the effects of melatonin should be attributed to its antioxidant, anxiolytic, and neuroprotective properties.
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Zamzow DR, Elias V, Acosta VA, Escobedo E, Magnusson KR. Higher levels of phosphorylated Y1472 on GluN2B subunits in the frontal cortex of aged mice are associated with good spatial reference memory, but not cognitive flexibility. AGE (DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS) 2016; 38:50. [PMID: 27094400 PMCID: PMC5005925 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-016-9913-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2015] [Accepted: 04/06/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAr) is particularly vulnerable to aging. The GluN2B subunit of the NMDAr, compared to other NMDAr subunits, suffers the greatest losses of expression in the aging brain, especially in the frontal cortex. While expression levels of GluN2B mRNA and protein in the aged brain are well documented, there has been little investigation into age-related posttranslational modifications of the subunit. In this study, we explored some of the mechanisms that may promote differences in the NMDAr complex in the frontal cortex of aged animals. Two ages of mice, 3 and 24 months, were behaviorally tested in the Morris water maze. The frontal cortex and hippocampus from each mouse were subjected to differential centrifugation followed by solubilization in Triton X-100. Proteins from Triton-insoluble membranes, Triton-soluble membranes, and intracellular membranes/cytosol were examined by Western blot. Higher levels of GluN2B tyrosine 1472 phosphorylation in frontal cortex synaptic fractions of old mice were associated with better reference learning but poorer cognitive flexibility. Levels of GluN2B phosphotyrosine 1336 remained steady, but there were greater levels of the calpain-induced 115 kDa GluN2B cleavage product on extrasynaptic membranes in these old good learners. There was an age-related increase in calpain activity, but it was not associated with better learning. These data highlight a unique aging change for aged mice with good spatial learning that might be detrimental to cognitive flexibility. This study also suggests that higher levels of truncated GluN2B on extrasynaptic membranes are not deleterious to spatial memory in aged mice.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Val Elias
- Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
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Curlik DM, Weiss C, Nicholson DA, Disterhoft JF. Age-related impairments on one hippocampal-dependent task predict impairments on a subsequent hippocampal-dependent task. Behav Neurosci 2015; 128:676-88. [PMID: 25420127 DOI: 10.1037/bne0000018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Age-related cognitive impairments are particularly prevalent in forms of learning that require a functionally intact hippocampal formation, such as spatial and declarative learning. However, there is notable heterogeneity in the cognitive abilities of aged subjects. To date, few studies have determined whether age-related impairments on one learning task relate to impairments on different learning tasks that engage overlapping cognitive processes. Here, we hypothesized that aged animals that were impaired on 1 hippocampal-dependent behavioral procedure would be impaired on a second hippocampal-dependent procedure. Conversely, aged animals that were unimpaired on 1 hippocampal-dependent task would be unimpaired with a subsequent hippocampal-dependent form of learning. To test these hypotheses, we trained young (2-3 months old) and aged (28-29 months old) F344XBN male rats with trace eyeblink conditioning, followed by the Morris water maze. Half of aged rats were impaired during trace conditioning. Nearly half of aged animals were also impaired during water maze probe testing. Performance during trace conditioning correlated with performance during water maze testing in aged animals. Further analyses revealed that, as a group, aged animals that were impaired on 1 hippocampal-dependent task were impaired on both tasks. Conversely, aged animals that were unimpaired on 1 task were unimpaired on both tasks. Together, these results suggest that aged-related impairments on 1 hippocampal-dependent task predict age-related impairments on a second hippocampal-dependent procedure. These results have implications for assigning personalized therapeutics to ameliorate age-related cognitive decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel M Curlik
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University
| | - Craig Weiss
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University
| | | | - John F Disterhoft
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University
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Paul S, Jeon WK, Bizon JL, Han JS. Interaction of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons with the glucocorticoid system in stress regulation and cognitive impairment. Front Aging Neurosci 2015; 7:43. [PMID: 25883567 PMCID: PMC4382969 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2015.00043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2015] [Accepted: 03/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
A substantial number of studies on basal forebrain (BF) cholinergic neurons (BFCN) have provided compelling evidence for their role in the etiology of stress, cognitive aging, Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and other neurodegenerative diseases. BFCN project to a broad range of cortical sites and limbic structures, including the hippocampus, and are involved in stress and cognition. In particular, the hippocampus, the primary target tissue of the glucocorticoid stress hormones, is associated with cognitive function in tandem with hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis modulation. The present review summarizes glucocorticoid and HPA axis research to date in an effort to establish the manner in which stress affects the release of acetylcholine (ACh), glucocorticoids, and their receptor in the context of cognitive processes. We attempt to provide the molecular interactive link between the glucocorticoids and cholinergic system that contributes to BFCN degeneration in stress-induced acceleration of cognitive decline in aging and AD. We also discuss the importance of animal models in facilitating such studies for pharmacological use, to which could help decipher disease states and propose leads for pharmacological intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saswati Paul
- Department of Biological Sciences, Konkuk University Seoul, South Korea
| | - Won Kyung Jeon
- Herbal Medicine Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Jennifer L Bizon
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, Evelyn F. and William L. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Jung-Soo Han
- Department of Biological Sciences, Konkuk University Seoul, South Korea
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Breton YA, Seeland KD, Redish AD. Aging impairs deliberation and behavioral flexibility in inter-temporal choice. Front Aging Neurosci 2015; 7:41. [PMID: 25870560 PMCID: PMC4375985 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2015.00041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2014] [Accepted: 03/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Inter-temporal choice depends on multiple, interacting systems, some of which may be compromised with age. Some of these systems may be responsible for ongoing trial-by-trial choice strategies. Some may represent the consequences of action. Some may be necessary for the coupling between anticipated consequences and strategies currently in use, flexibly guiding behavior. When faced with a difficult decision, rats will orient back and forth, a behavior termed "vicarious trial and error" (VTE). Recent experiments have linked the occurrence of VTE to hippocampal search processes and behavioral flexibility. We tested 5 month (n = 6), 9 month (n = 8) and over-27 month-old (n = 10) rats on a Spatial Adjusting Delay Discounting task to examine how aging impacted lap-by-lap strategies and VTE during inter-temporal choice. Rats chose between spatially separated food goals that provided a smaller-sooner or larger-later reward. On each lap, the delay to the larger-later reward was adjusted as a function of the rat's decisions, increasing by 1 s after delayed-side choices and decreasing by 1 s after non-delayed side choices. The strategies that aged rats used differed from those used in young and adult rats. Moreover, aged rats produced reliably more VTE behaviors, for protracted periods of time, uncoupled from behavioral flexibility.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kelsey D Seeland
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - A David Redish
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota Minneapolis, MN, USA
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Zamzow DR, Elias V, Legette LL, Choi J, Stevens JF, Magnusson KR. Xanthohumol improved cognitive flexibility in young mice. Behav Brain Res 2014; 275:1-10. [PMID: 25192637 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.08.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2014] [Revised: 08/22/2014] [Accepted: 08/23/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The protein palmitoylation cycle has been shown to be important for protein signaling and synaptic plasticity. Data from our lab showed a change in the palmitoylation status of certain proteins with age. A greater percentage of the NMDA receptor subunits GluN2A and GluN2B, along with Fyn and PSD95 proteins, were palmitoylated in the old mice. The higher level of protein palmitoylation was also associated with poorer learning scores. Xanthohumol is a prenylated flavonoid that has been shown to increase beta-oxidation in the livers of rodents, decreasing circulating free fatty acids in the serum. What is not known is whether the application of xanthohumol could influence the palmitoylation status of proteins. In this study, young and old mice were fed a diet supplemented with xanthohumol for 8 weeks. Spatial memory was assessed with the Morris water maze and protein palmitoylation quantified. The young xanthohumol-treated mice showed a significant improvement in cognitive flexibility. However, this appeared to be associated with the young control mice, on a defined, phytoestrogen-deficient diet, performing as poorly as the old mice and xanthohumol reversing this effect. The old mice receiving xanthohumol did not significantly improve their learning scores. Xanthohumol treatment was unable to affect the palmitoylation of NMDA receptor subunits and associated proteins assessed in this study. This evidence suggests that xanthohumol may play a role in improving cognitive flexability in young animals, but it appears to be ineffective in adjusting the palmitoylation status of neuronal proteins in aged individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel R Zamzow
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA; Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA; Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Valerie Elias
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA; Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - LeeCole L Legette
- Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Jaewoo Choi
- Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - J Fred Stevens
- Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Kathy R Magnusson
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA; Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA; Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA.
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30
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Quiedeville A, Boulouard M, Da Silva Costa-Aze V, Dauphin F, Bouet V, Freret T. 5-HT6 receptor antagonists as treatment for age-related cognitive decline. Rev Neurosci 2014; 25:417-27. [DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2014-0013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2013] [Accepted: 02/18/2014] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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31
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Fusco S, Pani G. Brain response to calorie restriction. Cell Mol Life Sci 2013; 70:3157-70. [PMID: 23269433 PMCID: PMC11114019 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-012-1223-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2012] [Revised: 11/09/2012] [Accepted: 11/26/2012] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Calorie restriction extends longevity and delays ageing in model organisms and mammals, opposing the onset and progression of an array of age-related diseases. These beneficial effects also extend to the maintenance of brain cognitive functions at later age and to the prevention, at least in rodents, of brain senescence and associated neurodegenerative disorders. In recent years, the molecular mechanisms underlying brain response to calorie restriction have begun to be elucidated, revealing the unanticipated role of a number of key nutrient sensors and nutrient-triggered signaling cascades in the translation of metabolic cues into cellular and molecular events that ultimately lead to increased cell resistance to stress, enhanced synaptic plasticity, and improved cognitive performance. Of note, the brain's role in CR also includes the activation of nutrient-sensitive hypothalamic circuitries and the implementation of neuroendocrine responses that impact the entire organism. The present review addresses emerging molecular themes in brain response to dietary restriction, and the implications of this knowledge for the understanding and the prevention of brain disorders associated with ageing and metabolic disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salvatore Fusco
- Institute of General Pathology, Laboratory of Cell Signaling, Catholic University Medical School, Largo F. Vito 1, Basic Science Building, room 405, Rome, Italy
| | - Giovambattista Pani
- Institute of General Pathology, Laboratory of Cell Signaling, Catholic University Medical School, Largo F. Vito 1, Basic Science Building, room 405, Rome, Italy
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32
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Clinton SM, Glover ME, Maltare A, Laszczyk AM, Mehi SJ, Simmons RK, King GD. Expression of klotho mRNA and protein in rat brain parenchyma from early postnatal development into adulthood. Brain Res 2013; 1527:1-14. [PMID: 23838326 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2013.06.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2013] [Revised: 06/26/2013] [Accepted: 06/30/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Without the age-regulating protein klotho, mouse lifespan is shortened and the rapid onset of age-related disorders occurs. Conversely, overexpression of klotho extends mouse lifespan. Klotho is most abundant in kidney and expressed in a limited number of other organs, including the brain, where klotho levels are highest in choroid plexus. Reports vary on where klotho is expressed within the brain parenchyma, and no data is available as to whether klotho levels change across postnatal development. We used in situ hybridization to map klotho mRNA expression in the developing and adult rat brain and report moderate, widespread expression across grey matter regions. mRNA expression levels in cortex, hippocampus, caudate putamen, and amygdala decreased during the second week of life and then gradually rose to adult levels by postnatal day 21. Immunohistochemistry revealed a protein expression pattern similar to the mRNA results, with klotho protein expressed widely throughout the brain. Klotho protein co-localized with both the neuronal marker NeuN, as well as, oligodendrocyte marker olig2. These results provide the first anatomical localization of klotho mRNA and protein in rat brain parenchyma and demonstrate that klotho levels vary during early postnatal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M Clinton
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294-2182, USA
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33
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Preissmann D, Leuba G, Savary C, Vernay A, Kraftsik R, Riederer IM, Schenk F, Riederer BM, Savioz A. Increased postsynaptic density protein-95 expression in the frontal cortex of aged cognitively impaired rats. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2013; 237:1331-40. [PMID: 23239444 DOI: 10.1258/ebm.2012.012020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In the present work we studied synaptic protein concentrations in relation to behavioral performance. Long-Evans rats, aged 22-23 months, were classified for individual expression of place memory in the Morris water maze, in reference to young adults. Two main subgroups of aged rats were established: the Aged cognitively Unimpaired (AU) had search accuracy within the range (percent of time in training sector within mean ± 2 SEM) of young rats and the Aged cognitively Impaired (AI) rats had search accuracy below this range. Samples from the hippocampus and frontal cortex of all the AI, AU and young rats were analyzed for the expression of postsynaptic protein PSD-95 by Image J analysis of immunohistochemical data and by Western blots. PSD-95 expression was unchanged in the hippocampus, but, together with synaptophysin, was significantly increased in the frontal cortex of the AI rats. A significant correlation between individual accuracy (time spent in the training zone) and PSD-95 expression was observed in the aged group. No significant effect of age or PSD-95 expression was observed in the learning of a new position. All together, these data suggest that increased expression of PSD-95 in the frontal cortex of aged rats co-occurs with cognitive impairment that might be linked to functional alterations extending over frontal networks.
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34
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Ménard C, Quirion R. Group 1 metabotropic glutamate receptor function and its regulation of learning and memory in the aging brain. Front Pharmacol 2012; 3:182. [PMID: 23091460 PMCID: PMC3469824 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2012.00182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2012] [Accepted: 09/23/2012] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Normal aging is generally characterized by a slow decline of cognitive abilities albeit with marked individual differences. Several animal models have been studied to explore the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying this phenomenon. The excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate and its receptors have been closely linked to spatial learning and hippocampus-dependent memory processes. For decades, ionotropic glutamate receptors have been known to play a critical role in synaptic plasticity, a form of adaptation regulating memory formation. Over the past 10 years, several groups have shown the importance of group 1 metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) in successful cognitive aging. These G-protein-coupled receptors are enriched in the hippocampal formation and interact physically with other proteins in the membrane including glutamate ionotropic receptors. Synaptic plasticity is crucial to maintain cognitive abilities and long-term depression (LTD) induced by group 1 mGluR activation, which has been linked to memory in the aging brain. The translation and synthesis of proteins by mGluR-LTD modulate ionotropic receptor trafficking and expression of immediate early genes related to cognition. Fragile X syndrome, a genetic form of autism characterized by memory deficits, has been associated to mGluR receptor malfunction and aberrant activation of its downstream signaling pathways. Dysfunction of mGluR could also be involved in neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Indeed, beta-amyloid, the main component of insoluble senile plaques and one of the hallmarks of AD, occludes mGluR-dependent LTD leading to diminished functional synapses. This review highlights recent findings regarding mGluR signaling, related synaptic plasticity, and their potential involvement in normal aging and neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Ménard
- Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University Montreal, QC, Canada
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35
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Qui G, Spangler E, Wan R, Miller M, Mattson M, So KF, de Cabo R, Zou S, Ingram D. Neuroprotection provided by dietary restriction in rats is further enhanced by reducing glucocortocoids. Neurobiol Aging 2012; 33:2398-410. [PMID: 22226488 PMCID: PMC3374050 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2011.11.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2011] [Revised: 10/21/2011] [Accepted: 11/20/2011] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Glucocorticoids (GC)--corticosterone (CORT) in rodents and cortisol in primates--are stress-induced hormones secreted by adrenal glands that interact with the hypothalamic pituitary axis. High levels of cortisol in humans are observed in neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD), as well as in diabetes, post-traumatic stress syndrome, and major depression. Experimental models of diabetes in rats and mice have demonstrated that reduction of CORT reduces learning and memory deficits and attenuates loss of neuronal viability and plasticity. In contrast to the negative associations of elevated GC levels, CORT is moderately elevated in dietary restriction (DR) paradigms which are associated with many healthy anti-aging effects including neuroprotection. We demonstrate here in rats that ablating CORT by adrenalectomy (ADX) with replenishment to relatively low levels (30% below that of controls) prior to the onset of a DR regimen (ADX-DR) followed by central administration of the neurotoxin, kainic acid (KA), significantly attenuates learning deficits in a 14-unit T-maze task. The performance of the ADX-DR KA group did not differ from a control group (CON) that did not receive KA and was fed ad libitum (AL). By contrast, the sham-operated DR (SHAM-DR KA) group, SHAM-AL KA group, and ADX-AL KA group demonstrated poorer learning behavior in this task compared to the CON group. Stereological analysis revealed equivalent DR-induced neuroprotection in the SH-DR KA and ADX-DR KA groups, as measured by cell loss in the CA2/CA3 region of the hippocampus, while substantial cell loss was observed in SH-AL and ADX-AL rats. A separate set of experiments was conducted with similar dietary and surgical treatment conditions but without KA administration to examine markers of neurotrophic activity, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), transcriptions factors (pCREB), and chaperone proteins (HSP-70). Under these conditions, we noted elevations in both BDNF and pCREB in ADX DR rats compared to the other groups; whereas, HSP-70, was equivalently elevated in ADX-DR and SH-DR groups and was higher than observed in both SH-AL and ADX-AL groups. These results support findings that DR protects hippocampal neurons against KA-induced cellular insult. However, this neuroprotective effect was further enhanced in rats with a lower-than control level of CORT resulting from ADX and maintained by exogenous CORT supplementation. Our results then suggest that DR-induced physiological elevation of GC may have negative functional consequences to DR-induced beneficial effects. These negative effects, however, can be compensated by other DR-produced cellular and molecular protective mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Edward Spangler
- Laboratory of Experimental Gerontology, Gerontology Research Center, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD 21043
| | - Ruiqian Wan
- Laboratory of Neurosciences, Gerontology Research Center, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD 210434
| | | | - Mark Mattson
- Laboratory of Neurosciences, Gerontology Research Center, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD 210434
| | - Kwi-fok So
- Department of Anatomy, Li Ka Shing Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, 21 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, PR China
| | - Rafael de Cabo
- Laboratory of Experimental Gerontology, Gerontology Research Center, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD 21043
| | - Sige Zou
- Laboratory of Experimental Gerontology, Gerontology Research Center, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD 21043
| | - Donald Ingram
- Correspondence should be sent to Donald K. Ingram at the Nutritional Neuroscience and Aging Laboratory, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University System, 6400 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70808.
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Bizon JL, Foster TC, Alexander GE, Glisky EL. Characterizing cognitive aging of working memory and executive function in animal models. Front Aging Neurosci 2012; 4:19. [PMID: 22988438 PMCID: PMC3439637 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2012.00019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2012] [Accepted: 06/21/2012] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Executive functions supported by prefrontal cortical (PFC) systems provide essential control and planning mechanisms to guide goal-directed behavior. As such, age-related alterations in executive functions can mediate profound and widespread deficits on a diverse array of neurocognitive processes. Many of the critical neuroanatomical and functional characteristics of prefrontal cortex are preserved in rodents, allowing for meaningful cross species comparisons relevant to the study of cognitive aging. In particular, as rodents lend themselves to genetic, cellular and biochemical approaches, rodent models of executive function stand to significantly contribute to our understanding of the critical neurobiological mechanisms that mediate decline of executive processes across the lifespan. Moreover, rodent analogs of executive functions that decline in human aging represent an essential component of a targeted, rational approach for developing and testing effective treatment and prevention therapies for age-related cognitive decline. This paper reviews behavioral approaches used to study executive function in rodents, with a focus on those assays that share a foundation in the psychological and neuroanatomical constructs important for human aging. A particular emphasis is placed on behavioral approaches used to assess working memory and cognitive flexibility, which are sensitive to decline with age across species and for which strong rodent models currently exist. In addition, other approaches in rodent behavior that have potential for providing analogs to functions that reliably decline to human aging (e.g., information processing speed) are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L Bizon
- Department of Neuroscience, Evelyn F. and William L. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida Gainesville, FL, USA
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37
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Decreased levels of nuclear glucocorticoid receptor protein in the hippocampus of aged Long-Evans rats with cognitive impairment. Brain Res 2012; 1478:48-54. [PMID: 22971526 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2012.08.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2012] [Revised: 08/20/2012] [Accepted: 08/21/2012] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies using animal models of cognitive aging showed that hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) responses to stress are impaired and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) mRNA is decreased in cognitively impaired aged rats, compared with those in young rats and cognitively unimpaired aged rats. Increased HPA activity is associated with the loss of hippocampal corticosteroid receptors. In the current investigation, GR expressions in the hippocampus were examined in young and aged male Long-Evans rats whose spatial memory was initially assessed on the Morris water maze task. We evaluated GR protein level in the hippocampus in young and aged rats characterized on the basis of the spatial task. In the hippocampus of aged rats with spatial memory impairments, GR protein level was decreased in the nucleus but not in the cytosol, and levels of glucocorticoid response elements binding activity was decreased. These results suggest that GR signaling is impaired in the hippocampus of rats with cognitive impairment. Impaired GR signaling may contribute to HPA axis dysfunction in aged rats and aged humans with cognitive impairment.
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The ageing cortical synapse: hallmarks and implications for cognitive decline. Nat Rev Neurosci 2012; 13:240-50. [PMID: 22395804 DOI: 10.1038/nrn3200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 628] [Impact Index Per Article: 52.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Normal ageing is associated with impairments in cognitive function, including memory. These impairments are linked, not to a loss of neurons in the forebrain, but to specific and relatively subtle synaptic alterations in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. Here, we review studies that have shed light on the cellular and synaptic changes observed in these brain structures during ageing that can be directly related to cognitive decline in young and aged animals. We also discuss the influence of the hormonal status on these age-related alterations and recent progress in the development of therapeutic strategies to limit the impact of ageing on memory and cognition in humans.
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Gilbert RJ, Mitchell MR, Simon NW, Bañuelos C, Setlow B, Bizon JL. Risk, reward, and decision-making in a rodent model of cognitive aging. Front Neurosci 2012; 5:144. [PMID: 22319463 PMCID: PMC3250056 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2011.00144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2011] [Accepted: 12/15/2011] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Impaired decision-making in aging can directly impact factors (financial security, health care) that are critical to maintaining quality of life and independence at advanced ages. Naturalistic rodent models mimic human aging in other cognitive domains, and afford the opportunity to parse the effects of age on discrete aspects of decision-making in a manner relatively uncontaminated by experiential factors. Young adult (5–7 months) and aged (23–25 months) male F344 rats were trained on a probability discounting task in which they made discrete-trial choices between a small certain reward (one food pellet) and a large but uncertain reward (two food pellets with varying probabilities of delivery ranging from 100 to 0%). Young rats chose the large reward when it was associated with a high probability of delivery and shifted to the small but certain reward as probability of the large reward decreased. As a group, aged rats performed comparably to young, but there was significantly greater variance among aged rats. One subgroup of aged rats showed strong preference for the small certain reward. This preference was maintained under conditions in which large reward delivery was also certain, suggesting decreased sensitivity to reward magnitude. In contrast, another subgroup of aged rats showed strong preference for the large reward at low probabilities of delivery. Interestingly, this subgroup also showed elevated preference for probabilistic rewards when reward magnitudes were equalized. Previous findings using this same aged study population described strongly attenuated discounting of delayed rewards with age, together suggesting that a subgroup of aged rats may have deficits associated with accounting for reward costs (i.e., delay or probability). These deficits in cost-accounting were dissociable from the age-related differences in sensitivity to reward magnitude, suggesting that aging influences multiple, distinct mechanisms that can impact cost–benefit decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan J Gilbert
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida College of Medicine Gainesville, FL, USA
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