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Rani A, Bean L, Budamagunta V, Kumar A, Foster TC. Failure of senolytic treatment to prevent cognitive decline in a female rodent model of aging. Front Aging Neurosci 2024; 16:1384554. [PMID: 38813533 PMCID: PMC11133672 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2024.1384554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
There are sex differences in vulnerability and resilience to the stressors of aging and subsequent age-related cognitive decline. Cellular senescence occurs as a response to damaging or stress-inducing stimuli. The response includes a state of irreversible growth arrest, the development of a senescence-associated secretory phenotype, and the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines associated with aging and age-related diseases. Senolytics are compounds designed to eliminate senescent cells. Our recent work indicates that senolytic treatment preserves cognitive function in aging male F344 rats. The current study examined the effect of senolytic treatment on cognitive function in aging female rats. Female F344 rats (12 months) were treated with dasatinib (1.2 mg/kg) + quercetin (12 mg/kg) or ABT-263 (12 mg/kg) or vehicle for 7 months. Examination of the estrus cycle indicated that females had undergone estropause during treatment. Senolytic treatment may have increased sex differences in behavioral stress responsivity, particularly for the initial training on the cued version of the watermaze. However, pre-training on the cue task reduced stress responsivity for subsequent spatial training and all groups learned the spatial discrimination. In contrast to preserved memory observed in senolytic-treated males, all older females exhibited impaired episodic memory relative to young (6-month) females. We suggest that the senolytic treatment may not have been able to compensate for the loss of estradiol, which can act on aging mechanisms for anxiety and memory independent of cellular senescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asha Rani
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Linda Bean
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Vivekananda Budamagunta
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
- Genetics and Genomics Graduate Program, Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Ashok Kumar
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Thomas C. Foster
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
- Genetics and Genomics Graduate Program, Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
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Budamagunta V, Kumar A, Rani A, Manohar Sindhu S, Yang Y, Zhou D, Foster TC. Senolytic treatment alleviates doxorubicin-induced chemobrain. Aging Cell 2024; 23:e14037. [PMID: 38225896 PMCID: PMC10861213 DOI: 10.1111/acel.14037] [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: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 10/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Doxorubicin (Dox), a widely used treatment for cancer, can result in chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairments (chemobrain). Chemobrain is associated with inflammation and oxidative stress similar to aging. As such, Dox treatment has also been used as a model of aging. However, it is unclear if Dox induces brain changes similar to that observed during aging since Dox does not readily enter the brain. Rather, the mechanism for chemobrain likely involves the induction of peripheral cellular senescence and the release of senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) factors and these SASP factors can enter the brain to disrupt cognition. We examined the effect of Dox on peripheral and brain markers of aging and cognition. In addition, we employed the senolytic, ABT-263, which also has limited access to the brain. The results indicate that plasma SASP factors enter the brain, activating microglia, increasing oxidative stress, and altering gene transcription. In turn, the synaptic function required for memory was reduced in response to altered redox signaling. ABT-263 prevented or limited most of the Dox-induced effects. The results emphasize a link between cognitive decline and the release of SASP factors from peripheral senescent cells and indicate some differences as well as similarities between advanced age and Dox treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivekananda Budamagunta
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain InstituteUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
- Genetics and Genomics Graduate Program, Genetics InstituteUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, College of PharmacyUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - Ashok Kumar
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain InstituteUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - Asha Rani
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain InstituteUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - Sahana Manohar Sindhu
- Genetics and Genomics Graduate Program, Genetics InstituteUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - Yang Yang
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, College of PharmacyUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - Daohong Zhou
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, College of PharmacyUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural BiologyUniversity of Texas Health Science Center at San AntonioSan AntonioTexasUSA
| | - Thomas C. Foster
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain InstituteUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
- Genetics and Genomics Graduate Program, Genetics InstituteUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
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Brito DVC, Esteves F, Rajado AT, Silva N, Araújo I, Bragança J, Castelo-Branco P, Nóbrega C. Assessing cognitive decline in the aging brain: lessons from rodent and human studies. NPJ AGING 2023; 9:23. [PMID: 37857723 PMCID: PMC10587123 DOI: 10.1038/s41514-023-00120-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
As life expectancy continues to increase worldwide, age-related dysfunction will largely impact our societies in the future. Aging is well established to promote the deterioration of cognitive function and is the primary risk factor for the development of prevalent neurological disorders. Even in the absence of dementia, age-related cognitive decline impacts specific types of memories and brain structures in humans and animal models. Despite this, preclinical and clinical studies that investigate age-related changes in brain physiology often use largely different methods, which hinders the translational potential of findings. This review seeks to integrate what is known about age-related changes in the brain with analogue cognitive tests used in humans and rodent studies, ranging from "pen and paper" tests to virtual-reality-based paradigms. Finally, we draw parallels between the behavior paradigms used in research compared to the enrollment into clinical trials that aim to study age-related cognitive decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- D V C Brito
- Algarve Biomedical Center-Research Institute (ABC-RI), Campus Gambelas, Bld.2, Faro, Portugal
- Algarve Biomedical Center- (ABC), Campus Gambelas, Bld.2, Faro, Portugal
| | - F Esteves
- Algarve Biomedical Center-Research Institute (ABC-RI), Campus Gambelas, Bld.2, Faro, Portugal
- Algarve Biomedical Center- (ABC), Campus Gambelas, Bld.2, Faro, Portugal
| | - A T Rajado
- Algarve Biomedical Center-Research Institute (ABC-RI), Campus Gambelas, Bld.2, Faro, Portugal
- Algarve Biomedical Center- (ABC), Campus Gambelas, Bld.2, Faro, Portugal
| | - N Silva
- Algarve Biomedical Center-Research Institute (ABC-RI), Campus Gambelas, Bld.2, Faro, Portugal
- Algarve Biomedical Center- (ABC), Campus Gambelas, Bld.2, Faro, Portugal
| | - I Araújo
- Algarve Biomedical Center-Research Institute (ABC-RI), Campus Gambelas, Bld.2, Faro, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (FMCB), University of Algarve, Gambelas Campus, Bld.2, Faro, Portugal
- Champalimaud Research Program, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - J Bragança
- Algarve Biomedical Center-Research Institute (ABC-RI), Campus Gambelas, Bld.2, Faro, Portugal
- Algarve Biomedical Center- (ABC), Campus Gambelas, Bld.2, Faro, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (FMCB), University of Algarve, Gambelas Campus, Bld.2, Faro, Portugal
- Champalimaud Research Program, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - P Castelo-Branco
- Algarve Biomedical Center-Research Institute (ABC-RI), Campus Gambelas, Bld.2, Faro, Portugal
- Algarve Biomedical Center- (ABC), Campus Gambelas, Bld.2, Faro, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (FMCB), University of Algarve, Gambelas Campus, Bld.2, Faro, Portugal
- Champalimaud Research Program, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - C Nóbrega
- Algarve Biomedical Center-Research Institute (ABC-RI), Campus Gambelas, Bld.2, Faro, Portugal.
- Algarve Biomedical Center- (ABC), Campus Gambelas, Bld.2, Faro, Portugal.
- Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (FMCB), University of Algarve, Gambelas Campus, Bld.2, Faro, Portugal.
- Champalimaud Research Program, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal.
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Budamagunta V, Kumar A, Rani A, Bean L, Manohar‐Sindhu S, Yang Y, Zhou D, Foster TC. Effect of peripheral cellular senescence on brain aging and cognitive decline. Aging Cell 2023; 22:e13817. [PMID: 36959691 PMCID: PMC10186609 DOI: 10.1111/acel.13817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023] Open
Abstract
We examine similar and differential effects of two senolytic treatments, ABT-263 and dasatinib + quercetin (D + Q), in preserving cognition, markers of peripheral senescence, and markers of brain aging thought to underlie cognitive decline. Male F344 rats were treated from 12 to 18 months of age with D + Q, ABT-263, or vehicle, and were compared to young (6 months). Both senolytic treatments rescued memory, preserved the blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity, and prevented the age-related decline in hippocampal N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) function associated with impaired cognition. Senolytic treatments decreased senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) and inflammatory cytokines/chemokines in the plasma (IL-1β, IP-10, and RANTES), with some markers more responsive to D + Q (TNFα) or ABT-263 (IFNγ, leptin, EGF). ABT-263 was more effective in decreasing senescence genes in the spleen. Both senolytic treatments decreased the expression of immune response and oxidative stress genes and increased the expression of synaptic genes in the dentate gyrus (DG). However, D + Q influenced twice as many genes as ABT-263. Relative to D + Q, the ABT-263 group exhibited increased expression of DG genes linked to cell death and negative regulation of apoptosis and microglial cell activation. Furthermore, D + Q was more effective at decreasing morphological markers of microglial activation. The results indicate that preserved cognition was associated with the removal of peripheral senescent cells, decreasing systemic inflammation that normally drives neuroinflammation, BBB breakdown, and impaired synaptic function. Dissimilarities associated with brain transcription indicate divergence in central mechanisms, possibly due to differential access.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivekananda Budamagunta
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain InstituteUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
- Genetics and Genomics Graduate Program, Genetics InstituteUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, College of PharmacyUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - Ashok Kumar
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain InstituteUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - Asha Rani
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain InstituteUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - Linda Bean
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain InstituteUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - Sahana Manohar‐Sindhu
- Genetics and Genomics Graduate Program, Genetics InstituteUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - Yang Yang
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, College of PharmacyUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural BiologyUniversity of Texas Health Science Center at San AntonioSan AntonioTexasUSA
| | - Daohong Zhou
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural BiologyUniversity of Texas Health Science Center at San AntonioSan AntonioTexasUSA
| | - Thomas C. Foster
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain InstituteUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
- Genetics and Genomics Graduate Program, Genetics InstituteUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
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Foster TC. Animal models for studies of alcohol effects on the trajectory of age-related cognitive decline. Alcohol 2023; 107:4-11. [PMID: 35504438 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2022.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
There is growing interest in understanding how ethanol use interacts with advancing age to influence the brain and cognition. Animal models are employed to investigate the cellular and molecular mechanisms of brain aging and age-related neurodegenerative diseases that underlie cognitive decline. However, all too often research on problems and diseases of the elderly are conducted in healthy young animals, providing little clinical relevance. The validity of animal models is discussed, and confounds due to age-related differences in anxiety, sensory-motor function, and procedural learning are highlighted in order to enhance the successful translation of preclinical results into clinical settings. The mechanism of action of ethanol on brain aging will depend on the dose, acute or chronic treatment, or withdrawal from treatment and the age examined. Due to the fact that humans experience alcohol use throughout life, important questions concern the effects of the dose and duration of ethanol treatment on the trajectory of cognitive function. Central to this research will be questions of the specificity of alcohol effects on cognitive functions and related brain regions that decline with age, as well as the interaction of alcohol with mechanisms or biomarkers of brain aging. Alternatively, moderate alcohol use may provide a source of reserve and resilience against brain aging. Longitudinal studies have the advantage of being sensitive to detecting the effects of treatment on the emergence of cognitive impairment in middle age and can minimize effects of stress/anxiety associated with the novelty of alcohol exposure and behavioral testing, which disproportionately influence aged animals. Finally, the effect of alcohol on senescent neurophysiology and biomarkers of brain aging are discussed. In particular, the interaction of age and effects of alcohol on inflammation, oxidative stress, N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor function, and the balance of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission are highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas C Foster
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.
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Cnops V, Iyer VR, Parathy N, Wong P, Dawe GS. Test, Rinse, Repeat: A Review of Carryover Effects in Rodent Behavioral Assays. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 135:104560. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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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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Reitz NL, Nunes PT, Savage LM. Adolescent Binge-Type Ethanol Exposure in Rats Mirrors Age-Related Cognitive Decline by Suppressing Cholinergic Tone and Hippocampal Neurogenesis. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:772857. [PMID: 34744657 PMCID: PMC8569390 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.772857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Heavy alcohol consumption followed by periods of abstinence (i.e., binge drinking) during adolescence is a concern for both acute and chronic health issues. Persistent brain damage after adolescent intermittent ethanol exposure in rodents, a model of binge drinking, includes reduced hippocampal neurogenesis and a loss of neurons in the basal forebrain that express the cholinergic phenotype. The circuit formed between those regions, the septohippocampal pathway, is critical for learning and memory. Furthermore, this circuit is also altered during the aging process. Thus, we examined whether pathology in septohippocampal circuit and impairments in spatial behaviors are amplified during aging following adolescent intermittent ethanol exposure. Female and male rats were exposed to intermittent intragastric gavage of water (control) or 20% ethanol (dose of 5 g/kg) for a 2 days on/off cycle from postnatal days 25-55. Either 2 (young adult) or 12-14 (middle-age) months post exposure, rats were tested on two spatial tasks: spontaneous alternation and novel object in place. Acetylcholine efflux was assessed in the hippocampus during both tasks. There was no adolescent ethanol-induced deficit on spontaneous alternation, but middle-aged male rats displayed lower alternation rates. Male rats exposed to ethanol during adolescence had blunted behavioral evoked acetylcholine during spontaneous alternation testing. All ethanol-exposed rats displayed suppression of the cholinergic neuronal phenotype. On the novel object in place task, regardless of sex, ethanol-exposed rats performed significantly worse than control-treated rats, and middle aged-rats, regardless of sex or ethanol exposure, were significantly impaired relative to young adult rats. These results indicate that male rats display earlier age-related cognitive impairment on a working memory task. Furthermore, male rats exposed to ethanol during adolescence have blunted behavior-evoked hippocampal acetylcholine efflux. In addition, middle-aged and ethanol-exposed rats, regardless of sex, are impaired at determining discrete spatial relationship between objects. This type of pattern separation impairment was associated with a loss of neurogenesis. Thus, binge-type adolescent ethanol exposure does affect the septohippocampal circuit, and can accelerate age-related cognitive impairment on select spatial tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Lisa M. Savage
- Department of Psychology, Binghamton University – State University of New York, Binghamton, NY, United States
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Adulthood systemic inflammation accelerates the trajectory of age-related cognitive decline. Aging (Albany NY) 2021; 13:22092-22108. [PMID: 34587117 PMCID: PMC8507275 DOI: 10.18632/aging.203588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
In order to understand the long-term effects of systemic inflammation, it is important to distinguish inflammation-induced changes in baseline cognitive function from changes that interact with aging to influence the trajectory of cognitive decline. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 1 mg/kg) or vehicle was administered to young adult (6 months) male rats via intraperitoneal injections, once a week for 7 weeks. Longitudinal effects on cognitive decline were examined 6 and 12 months after the initial injections. Repeated LPS treatment, in adults, resulted in a long-term impairment in memory, examined in aged animals (age 18 months), but not in middle-age (age 12 months). At 12 months following injections, LPS treatment was associated with a decrease in N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-mediated component of synaptic transmission and altered expression of genes linked to the synapse and to regulation of the response to inflammatory signals. The results of the current study suggest that the history of systemic inflammation is one component of environmental factors that contribute to the resilience or susceptibility to age-related brain changes and associated trajectory of cognitive decline.
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McQuail JA, Dunn AR, Stern Y, Barnes CA, Kempermann G, Rapp PR, Kaczorowski CC, Foster TC. Cognitive Reserve in Model Systems for Mechanistic Discovery: The Importance of Longitudinal Studies. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 12:607685. [PMID: 33551788 PMCID: PMC7859530 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2020.607685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The goal of this review article is to provide a resource for longitudinal studies, using animal models, directed at understanding and modifying the relationship between cognition and brain structure and function throughout life. We propose that forthcoming longitudinal studies will build upon a wealth of knowledge gleaned from prior cross-sectional designs to identify early predictors of variability in cognitive function during aging, and characterize fundamental neurobiological mechanisms that underlie the vulnerability to, and the trajectory of, cognitive decline. Finally, we present examples of biological measures that may differentiate mechanisms of the cognitive reserve at the molecular, cellular, and network level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph A. McQuail
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, United States
| | - Amy R. Dunn
- The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME, United States
| | - Yaakov Stern
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division, Department of Neurology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Carol A. Barnes
- Departments of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
- Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Gerd Kempermann
- CRTD—Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers (HZ), Dresden, Germany
| | - Peter R. Rapp
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, Neurocognitive Aging Section, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | | | - Thomas C. Foster
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
- Genetics and Genomics Program, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
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Rizzolo L, Leger M, Corvaisier S, Groussard M, Platel H, Bouet V, Schumann-Bard P, Freret T. Long-Term Music Exposure Prevents Age-Related Cognitive Deficits in Rats Independently of Hippocampal Neurogenesis. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:620-634. [PMID: 32959057 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2020] [Revised: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive decline appears across aging. While some studies report beneficial effects of musical listening and practice on cognitive aging, the underlying neurobiological mechanisms remain unknown. This study aims to determine whether chronic (6 h/day, 3 times/week) and long-lasting (4-8 months) music exposure, initiated at middle age in rats (15 months old), can influence behavioral parameters sensitive to age effects and reduce age-related spatial memory decline in rats. Spontaneous locomotor, circadian rhythmic activity, and anxiety-like behavior as well as spatial working and reference memory were assessed in 14-month-old rats and then after 4 and 8 months of music exposure (19 and 23 months old, respectively). Spatial learning and reference memory data were followed up by considering cognitive status of animals prior to music exposure (14 months old) given by K-means clustering of individual Z-score. Hippocampal cell proliferation and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) level in the hippocampus and frontal cortex were measured. Results show that music exposure differentially rescues age-related deficits in spatial navigation tasks according to its duration without affecting spontaneous locomotor, circadian rhythmic activity, and anxiety-like behavior. Hippocampal cell proliferation as well as hippocampal and frontal cortex BDNF levels was not affected by music across aging. Cognitive improvement by music in aging rats may require distinct neurobiological mechanisms than hippocampal cell proliferation and BDNF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lou Rizzolo
- Normandie University, Unicaen, INSERM, COMETE, CHU de Caen, Cyceron, 14000 Caen, France
| | - Marianne Leger
- Normandie University, Unicaen, INSERM, COMETE, CHU de Caen, Cyceron, 14000 Caen, France
| | - Sophie Corvaisier
- Normandie University, Unicaen, INSERM, COMETE, CHU de Caen, Cyceron, 14000 Caen, France
| | - Mathilde Groussard
- Normandie University, Unicaen, PSL Research University, EPHE, INSERM U1077, CHU de Caen, Cyceron, 14000 Caen, France
- PSL Research University, EPHE, Paris, France
| | - Hervé Platel
- Normandie University, Unicaen, PSL Research University, EPHE, INSERM U1077, CHU de Caen, Cyceron, 14000 Caen, France
- PSL Research University, EPHE, Paris, France
| | - Valentine Bouet
- Normandie University, Unicaen, INSERM, COMETE, CHU de Caen, Cyceron, 14000 Caen, France
| | - Pascale Schumann-Bard
- Normandie University, Unicaen, INSERM, COMETE, CHU de Caen, Cyceron, 14000 Caen, France
| | - Thomas Freret
- Normandie University, Unicaen, INSERM, COMETE, CHU de Caen, Cyceron, 14000 Caen, France
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Ehlers VL, Smies CW, Moyer JR. Apoaequorin differentially modulates fear memory in adult and aged rats. Brain Behav 2020; 10:e01832. [PMID: 32945630 PMCID: PMC7667302 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.1832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Revised: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Cognitive deficits during aging are pervasive across species and learning paradigms. One of the major mechanisms thought to play a role in age-related memory decline is dysregulated calcium (Ca2+ ) homeostasis. Aging is associated with impaired function of several calcium-regulatory mechanisms, including calcium-binding proteins that normally support intracellular Ca2+ regulation. This age-related calcium-binding protein dysfunction and changes in expression lead to disrupted maintenance of intracellular Ca2+ , thus contributing to memory decline. Other work has found that age-related cognitive deficits can be mitigated by either blocking Ca2+ entry into the cytosol or preventing its release from intracellular Ca2+ stores. However, the effect of calcium-binding protein administration on cognitive function during aging is not well-understood. Our laboratory has previously shown that the calcium-binding protein apoaequorin (AQ) is neuroprotective during oxygen-glucose deprivation, a model of in vitro ischemia characterized by calcium-induced excitotoxicity. The current experiments assessed the effect of direct dorsal hippocampal AQ infusion on trace and context fear memory in adult and aged rats. METHODS Adult (3-6 months) and aged (22-26 months) male F344 rats were randomly assigned to different experimental infusion groups before undergoing trace fear conditioning and testing. In experiment 1, rats received bilateral dorsal hippocampal infusions of either vehicle or AQ (4% w/v) 24 hr before trace fear conditioning. In experiment 2, rats received bilateral dorsal hippocampal infusions of either vehicle or 4% AQ 1 hr before trace fear conditioning and 1 hr before testing. RESULTS Aged rats displayed impaired trace and context fear memory. While a single AQ infusion 24 hr before trace fear conditioning was insufficient to rescue age-related trace fear memory deficits, AQ infusion 1 hr before both conditioning and testing abolished age-related context fear memory deficits. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that intrahippocampal infusion of AQ may reverse aging-related deficits in hippocampus-dependent context fear memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa L Ehlers
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Chad W Smies
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - James R Moyer
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
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Barter J, Kumar A, Rani A, Colon-Perez LM, Febo M, Foster TC. Differential Effect of Repeated Lipopolysaccharide Treatment and Aging on Hippocampal Function and Biomarkers of Hippocampal Senescence. Mol Neurobiol 2020; 57:4045-4059. [PMID: 32651758 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-020-02008-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Markers of brain aging and cognitive decline are thought to be influenced by peripheral inflammation. This study compared the effects of repeated lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment in young rats to age-related changes in hippocampal-dependent cognition and transcription. Young Fischer 344 X Brown Norway hybrid rats were given intraperitoneal injections once a week for 7 weeks with either LPS or vehicle. Older rats received a similar injection schedule of vehicle. Old vehicle and young LPS rats exhibited a delay-dependent impairment in spatial memory. Further, LPS treatment reduced the hippocampal CA3-CA1 synaptic response. RNA sequencing, performed on CA1, indicated an increase in genes linked to neuroinflammation in old vehicle and young LPS animals. In contrast to an age-related decrease in transcription of synaptic genes, young LPS animals exhibited increased expression of genes that support the growth and maintenance of synapses. We suggest that the increased expression of genes for growth and maintenance of synapses in young animals represents neuronal resilience/recovery in response to acute systemic inflammation. Thus, the results indicate that repeated LPS treatment does not completely recapitulate the aging phenotype for synaptic function, possibly due to the chronic nature of systemic inflammation in aging and resilience of young animals to acute treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jolie Barter
- Department of Medicine, Division of General Medicine and Geriatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Ashok Kumar
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610-0244, USA
| | - Asha Rani
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610-0244, USA
| | - Luis M Colon-Perez
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Center for Learning and Memory, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Marcelo Febo
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610-0244, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.,Center for Addiction Research and Education, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Thomas C Foster
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610-0244, USA. .,Genetics and Genomics Program, University of Florida, Gainesville, 32611, FL, USA.
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Hippocampal Subregion Transcriptomic Profiles Reflect Strategy Selection during Cognitive Aging. J Neurosci 2020; 40:4888-4899. [PMID: 32376783 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2944-19.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Revised: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Age-related cognitive impairments are associated with differentially expressed genes (DEGs) linked to defined neural systems; however, studies examining multiple regions of the hippocampus fail to find links between behavior and transcription in the dentate gyrus (DG). We hypothesized that use of a task requiring intact DG function would emphasize molecular signals in the DG associated with a decline in performance. We used a water maze beacon discrimination task to characterize young and middle-age male F344 rats, followed by a spatial reference memory probe trial test. Middle-age rats showed increased variability in discriminating two identical beacons. Use of an allocentric strategy and formation of a spatial reference memory were not different between age groups; however, older animals compensated for impaired beacon discrimination through greater reliance on spatial reference memory. mRNA sequencing of hippocampal subregions indicated DEGs in the DG of middle-age rats, linked to synaptic function and neurogenesis, correlated with beacon discrimination performance, suggesting that senescence of the DG underlies the impairment. Few genes correlated with spatial memory across age groups, with a greater number in region CA1. Age-related CA1 DEGs, correlated with spatial memory, were linked to regulation of neural activity. These results indicate that the beacon task is sensitive to impairment in middle age, and distinct gene profiles are observed in neural circuits that underlie beacon discrimination performance and allocentric memory. The use of different strategies in older animals and associated transcriptional profiles could provide an animal model for examining cognitive reserve and neural compensation of aging.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Hippocampal subregions are thought to differentially contribute to memory. We took advantage of age-related variability in performance on a water maze beacon task and next-generation sequencing to test the hypothesis that aging of the dentate gyrus is linked to impaired beacon discrimination and compensatory use of allocentric memory. The dentate gyrus expressed synaptic function and neurogenesis genes correlated with beacon discrimination in middle-age animals. Spatial reference memory was associated with CA1 transcriptional correlates linked to regulation of neural activity and use of an allocentric strategy. This is the first study examining transcriptomes of multiple hippocampal subregions to link age-related impairments associated with discrimination of feature overlap and alternate response strategies to gene expression in specific hippocampal subregions.
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15
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Febo M, Rani A, Yegla B, Barter J, Kumar A, Wolff CA, Esser K, Foster TC. Longitudinal Characterization and Biomarkers of Age and Sex Differences in the Decline of Spatial Memory. Front Aging Neurosci 2020; 12:34. [PMID: 32153384 PMCID: PMC7044155 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2020.00034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2019] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The current longitudinal study examined factors (sex, physical function, response to novelty, ability to adapt to a shift in light/dark cycle, brain connectivity), which might predict the emergence of impaired memory during aging. Male and female Fisher 344 rats were tested at 6, 12, and 18 months of age. Impaired spatial memory developed in middle-age (12 months), particularly in males, and the propensity for impairment increased with advanced age. A reduced response to novelty was observed over the course of aging, which is inconsistent with cross-sectional studies. This divergence likely resulted from differences in the history of environmental enrichment/impoverishment for cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. Animals that exhibited lower level exploration of the inner region on the open field test exhibited better memory at 12 months. Furthermore, males that exhibited a longer latency to enter a novel environment at 6 months, exhibited better memory at 12 months. For females, memory at 12 months was correlated with the ability to behaviorally adapt to a shift in light/dark cycle. Functional magnetic resonance imaging of the brain, conducted at 12 months, indicated that the decline in memory was associated with altered functional connectivity within different memory systems, most notably between the hippocampus and multiple regions such as the retrosplenial cortex, thalamus, striatum, and amygdala. Overall, some factors, specifically response to novelty at an early age and the capacity to adapt to shifts in light cycle, predicted spatial memory in middle-age, and spatial memory is associated with corresponding changes in brain connectivity. We discuss similarities and differences related to previous longitudinal and cross-sectional studies, as well as the role of sex differences in providing a theoretical framework to guide future longitudinal research on the trajectory of cognitive decline. In addition to demonstrating the power of longitudinal studies, these data highlight the importance of middle-age for identifying potential predictive indicators of sexual dimorphism in the trajectory in brain and cognitive aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo Febo
- Department of Psychiatry, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Asha Rani
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Brittney Yegla
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Jolie Barter
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Ashok Kumar
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Christopher A Wolff
- Department of Physiology and Functional Genomics, Myology Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Karyn Esser
- Department of Physiology and Functional Genomics, Myology Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Thomas C Foster
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.,Genetics and Genomics Program, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
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16
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β-Alanine supplementation reduces anxiety and increases neurotrophin expression in both young and older rats. Nutr Res 2019; 62:51-63. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nutres.2018.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2018] [Revised: 10/28/2018] [Accepted: 11/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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17
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Burke SN, Foster TC. Animal models of cognitive aging and circuit-specific vulnerability. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2019; 167:19-36. [PMID: 31753133 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-804766-8.00002-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Medial temporal lobe and prefrontal cortical structures are particularly vulnerable to dysfunction in advanced age and neurodegenerative diseases. This review focuses on cognitive aging studies in animals to illustrate the important aspects of the animal model paradigm for investigation of age-related memory and executive function loss. Particular attention is paid to the discussion of the face, construct, and predictive validity of animal models for determining the possible mechanisms of regional vulnerability in aging and for identifying novel therapeutic strategies. Aging is associated with a host of regionally specific neurobiologic alterations. Thus, targeted interventions that restore normal activity in one brain region may exacerbate aberrant activity in another, hindering the restoration of function at the behavioral level. As such, interventions that target the optimization of "cognitive networks" rather than discrete brain regions may be more effective for improving functional outcomes in the elderly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara N Burke
- Department of Neuroscience, William L. and Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Thomas C Foster
- Department of Neuroscience, William L. and Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.
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18
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Weishaupt N, Liu Q, Shin S, Singh R, Agca Y, Agca C, Hachinski V, Whitehead SN. APP21 transgenic rats develop age-dependent cognitive impairment and microglia accumulation within white matter tracts. J Neuroinflammation 2018; 15:241. [PMID: 30153843 PMCID: PMC6114740 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-018-1273-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2018] [Accepted: 08/09/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Most of the animal models commonly used for preclinical research into Alzheimer's disease (AD) largely fail to address the pathophysiology, including the impact of known risk factors, of the widely diagnosed sporadic form of the disease. Here, we use a transgenic rat (APP21) that does not develop AD-like pathology spontaneously with age, but does develop pathology following vascular stress. To further the potential of this novel rat model as a much-needed pre-clinical animal model of sporadic AD, we characterize APP21 transgenic rats behaviorally and histologically up to 19 months of age. METHODS The open field test was used as a measure of activity; and the Morris water maze was used to assess learning, memory, and strategy shift. Neuronal loss and microglia activation were also assessed throughout the brain. RESULTS APP21 transgenic rats showed deficits in working memory from an early age, yet memory recall performance after 24 and 72 h was equal to that of wildtype rats and did not deteriorate with age. A deficit in strategy shift was observed at 19 months of age in APP21 transgenic rats compared to Fischer wildtype rats. Histologically, APP21 transgenic rats demonstrated accelerated white matter inflammation compared to wildtype rats, but interestingly no differences in neuron loss were observed. CONCLUSIONS The combined presence of white matter pathology and executive function deficits mirrored what is often found in patients with mild cognitive impairment or early dementia, and suggests that this rat model will be useful for translationally meaningful studies into the development and prevention of sporadic AD. The presence of widespread white matter inflammation as the only observed pathological correlate for cognitive deficits raises new questions as to the role of neuroinflammation in cognitive decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Weishaupt
- Vulnerable Brain Laboratory, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St, London, Ontario N6A 5C1 Canada
| | - Qingfan Liu
- Vulnerable Brain Laboratory, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St, London, Ontario N6A 5C1 Canada
| | - Sheojung Shin
- Vulnerable Brain Laboratory, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St, London, Ontario N6A 5C1 Canada
| | - Ramandeep Singh
- Vulnerable Brain Laboratory, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St, London, Ontario N6A 5C1 Canada
| | - Yuksel Agca
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO USA
| | - Cansu Agca
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO USA
| | - Vladimir Hachinski
- Clinical Neurological Sciences, London Health Sciences Centre, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5A5 Canada
| | - Shawn Narain Whitehead
- Vulnerable Brain Laboratory, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St, London, Ontario N6A 5C1 Canada
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Cortese GP, Olin A, O'Riordan K, Hullinger R, Burger C. Environmental enrichment improves hippocampal function in aged rats by enhancing learning and memory, LTP, and mGluR5-Homer1c activity. Neurobiol Aging 2017; 63:1-11. [PMID: 29207276 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2017.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2017] [Revised: 11/06/2017] [Accepted: 11/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies from our laboratory have shown that environmental enrichment (EE) in young rats results in improved learning ability and enhanced metabotropic glutamate receptor-dependent long-term potentiation (mGluR-dependent LTP) resulting from sustained activation of p70S6 kinase. Here, we investigated whether 1-month EE is sufficient to improve hippocampus-dependent learning and memory and enhance hippocampal LTP in 23-24 month-old Fischer 344 male rats. Aged rats were housed in environmentally enriched, socially enriched, or standard housing conditions. We find that aged rats exposed to 1-month of EE demonstrate enhanced learning and memory relative to standard housed controls when tested in the Morris water maze and novel object recognition behavioral tasks. Furthermore, we find that environmentally enriched rats perform significantly better than socially enriched or standard housed rats in the radial-arm water maze and display enhanced mGluR5-dependent hippocampal LTP. Enhanced hippocampal function results from activity-dependent increases in the levels of mGluR5, Homer1c, and phospho-p70S6 kinase. These findings demonstrate that a short exposure of EE to aged rats can have significant effects on hippocampal function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe P Cortese
- Department of Neurology, Medical Sciences Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Andrew Olin
- College of Letters and Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Kenneth O'Riordan
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Rikki Hullinger
- Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Corinna Burger
- Department of Neurology, Medical Sciences Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
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20
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Barrientos RM, Kitt MM, D'Angelo HM, Watkins LR, Rudy JW, Maier SF. Stable, long-term, spatial memory in young and aged rats achieved with a one day Morris water maze training protocol. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 23:699-702. [PMID: 27918274 PMCID: PMC5110982 DOI: 10.1101/lm.043489.116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2016] [Accepted: 09/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Here, we present data demonstrating that a 1 d Morris water maze training protocol is effective at producing stable, long-term spatial memory in both young (3 mo old) and aged (24 mo old) F344xBN rats. Four trials in each of four sessions separated by a 2.5 h ISI produced robust selective search for the platform 1 and 4 d after training, in both age groups. A 1 h ISI protocol did not produce good retention. Also, compressing the trials into just two sessions separated by a 2.5 h ISI produced limited retention in only young rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth M Barrientos
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0345, USA
| | - Meagan M Kitt
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0345, USA
| | - Heather M D'Angelo
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0345, USA
| | - Linda R Watkins
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0345, USA
| | - Jerry W Rudy
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0345, USA
| | - Steven F Maier
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0345, USA
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21
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Ianov L, Rani A, Beas BS, Kumar A, Foster TC. Transcription Profile of Aging and Cognition-Related Genes in the Medial Prefrontal Cortex. Front Aging Neurosci 2016; 8:113. [PMID: 27242522 PMCID: PMC4868850 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2016.00113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2016] [Accepted: 04/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive function depends on transcription; however, there is little information linking altered gene expression to impaired prefrontal cortex function during aging. Young and aged F344 rats were characterized on attentional set shift and spatial memory tasks. Transcriptional differences associated with age and cognition were examined using RNA sequencing to construct transcriptomic profiles for the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), white matter, and region CA1 of the hippocampus. The results indicate regional differences in vulnerability to aging. Age-related gene expression in the mPFC was similar to, though less robust than, changes in the dorsolateral PFC of aging humans suggesting that aging processes may be similar. Importantly, the pattern of transcription associated with aging did not predict cognitive decline. Rather, increased mPFC expression of genes involved in regulation of transcription, including transcription factors that regulate the strength of excitatory and inhibitory inputs, and neural activity-related immediate-early genes was observed in aged animals that exhibit delayed set shift behavior. The specificity of impairment on a mPFC-dependent task, associated with a particular mPFC transcriptional profile indicates that impaired executive function involves altered transcriptional regulation and neural activity/plasticity processes that are distinct from that described for impaired hippocampal function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Ianov
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of FloridaGainesville, FL, USA
- Genetics and Genomics Program, Genetics Institute, University of FloridaGainesville, FL, USA
| | - Asha Rani
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of FloridaGainesville, FL, USA
| | - Blanca S. Beas
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of FloridaGainesville, FL, USA
| | - Ashok Kumar
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of FloridaGainesville, FL, USA
| | - Thomas C. Foster
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of FloridaGainesville, FL, USA
- Genetics and Genomics Program, Genetics Institute, University of FloridaGainesville, FL, USA
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22
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Foster TC, Kyritsopoulos C, Kumar A. Central role for NMDA receptors in redox mediated impairment of synaptic function during aging and Alzheimer's disease. Behav Brain Res 2016; 322:223-232. [PMID: 27180169 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2016.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2016] [Revised: 04/15/2016] [Accepted: 05/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Increased human longevity has magnified the negative impact that aging can have on cognitive integrity of older individuals experiencing some decline in cognitive function. Approximately 30% of the elderly will have cognitive problems that influence their independence. Impaired executive function and memory performance are observed in normal aging and yet can be an early sign of a progressive cognitive impairment of Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common form of dementia. Brain regions that are vulnerable to aging exhibit the earliest pathology of AD. Senescent synaptic function is observed as a shift in Ca2+-dependent synaptic plasticity and similar mechanisms are thought to contribute to the early cognitive deficits associated with AD. In the case of aging, intracellular redox state mediates a shift in Ca2+ regulation including N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor hypofunction and increased Ca2+ release from intracellular stores to alter synaptic plasticity. AD can interact with these aging processes such that molecules linked to AD, β-amyloid (Aβ) and mutated presenilin 1 (PS1), can also degrade NMDA receptor function, promote Ca2+ release from intracellular stores, and may increase oxidative stress. Thus, age is one of the most important predictors of AD and brain aging likely contributes to the onset of AD. The focus of this review article is to provide an update on mechanisms that contribute to the senescent synapse and possible interactions with AD-related molecules, with special emphasis on regulation of NMDA receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- T C Foster
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, United States of America.
| | - C Kyritsopoulos
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, United States of America
| | - A Kumar
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, United States of America.
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Abstract
UNLABELLED A decline in estradiol (E2)-mediated cognitive benefits denotes a critical window for the therapeutic effects of E2, but the mechanism for closing of the critical window is unknown. We hypothesized that upregulating the expression of estrogen receptor α (ERα) or estrogen receptor β (ERβ) in the hippocampus of aged animals would restore the therapeutic potential of E2 treatments and rejuvenate E2-induced hippocampal plasticity. Female rats (15 months) were ovariectomized, and, 14 weeks later, adeno-associated viral vectors were used to express ERα, ERβ, or green fluorescent protein (GFP) in the CA1 region of the dorsal hippocampus. Animals were subsequently treated for 5 weeks with cyclic injections of 17β-estradiol-3-benzoate (EB, 10 μg) or oil vehicle. Spatial memory was examined 48 h after EB/oil treatment. EB treatment in the GFP (GFP + EB) and ERβ (ERβ + EB) groups failed to improve episodic spatial memory relative to oil-treated animals, indicating closing of the critical window. Expression of ERβ failed to improve cognition and was associated with a modest learning impairment. Cognitive benefits were specific to animals expressing ERα that received EB treatment (ERα + EB), such that memory was improved relative to ERα + oil and GFP + EB. Similarly, ERα + EB animals exhibited enhanced NMDAR-mediated synaptic transmission compared with the ERα + oil and GFP + EB groups. This is the first demonstration that the window for E2-mediated benefits on cognition and hippocampal E2 responsiveness can be reinstated by increased expression of ERα. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Estradiol is neuroprotective, promotes synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus, and protects against cognitive decline associated with aging and neurodegenerative diseases. However, animal models and clinical studies indicate a critical window for the therapeutic treatment such that the beneficial effects are lost with advanced age and/or with extended hormone deprivation. We used gene therapy to upregulate expression of the estrogen receptors ERα and ERβ and demonstrate that the window for estradiol's beneficial effects on memory and hippocampal synaptic function can be reinstated by enhancing the expression of ERα. Our findings suggest that the activity of ERα controls the therapeutic window by regulating synaptic plasticity mechanisms involved in memory.
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Hullinger R, Burger C. Learning impairments identified early in life are predictive of future impairments associated with aging. Behav Brain Res 2015; 294:224-33. [PMID: 26283528 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2015.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2015] [Revised: 08/01/2015] [Accepted: 08/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The Morris water maze (MWM) behavioral paradigm is commonly used to measure spatial learning and memory in rodents. It is widely accepted that performance in the MWM declines with age. However, young rats ubiquitously perform very well on established versions of the water maze, suggesting that more challenging tasks may be required to reveal subtle differences in young animals. Therefore, we have used a one-day water maze and novel object recognition to test whether more sensitive paradigms of memory in young animals could identify subtle cognitive impairments early in life that might become accentuated later with senescence. We have found that these two tasks reliably separate young rats into inferior and superior learners, are highly correlated, and that performance on these tasks early in life is predictive of performance at 12 months of age. Furthermore, we have found that repeated training in this task selectively improves the performance of inferior learners, suggesting that behavioral training from an early age may provide a buffer against age-related cognitive decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rikki Hullinger
- Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA
| | - Corinna Burger
- Department of Neurology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Medical Sciences Center, 1300 University Ave, Room 73 Bardeen, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
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Guidi M, Rani A, Karic S, Severance B, Kumar A, Foster TC. Contribution of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors to attention and episodic spatial memory during senescence. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2015; 125:36-46. [PMID: 26234588 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2015.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2015] [Revised: 06/22/2015] [Accepted: 07/24/2015] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
A decrease in N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) function is associated with age-related cognitive impairments. However, NMDAR antagonists are prescribed for cognitive decline associated with age-related neurodegenerative disease, raising questions as to the role of NMDAR activity in cognitive function during aging. The current studies examined effects of NMDAR blockade on cognitive task that are sensitive to aging. Young and middle-age rats were trained on the five-choice serial reaction time task (5-CSRTT) and challenged with MK-801 (0.025, 0.05, and 0.1mg/kg or vehicle). Attention deficits were apparent in middle-age and performance of young and middle-age rats was enhanced for low doses of MK-801 (0.025 and 0.05). The beneficial effects on attention were reversed by the highest dose of MK-801. Older animals exhibited a delay-dependent impairment of episodic spatial memory examined on a delayed-matching to place water maze task. Similarly, a low dose of MK-801 (0.05mg/kg) impaired performance with increasing delay and aged animals were more susceptible to disruption by NMDAR blockade. Despite MK-801 impairment of episodic spatial memory, MK-801 had minimal effects on spatial reference memory. Our results confirm that NMDARs contribute to rapidly acquired and flexible spatial memory and support the idea that a decline in NMDAR function contributes to the age-related impairments in cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Guidi
- Noldus Information Technology, 1503 Edwards Ferry Road, Suite 310, Leesburg, VA 20176, USA
| | - Asha Rani
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Semir Karic
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Barrett Severance
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Ashok Kumar
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.
| | - Thomas C Foster
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.
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26
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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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27
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Mulder CK, Reckman GAR, Gerkema MP, Van der Zee EA. Time-place learning over a lifetime: absence of memory loss in trained old mice. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 22:278-88. [PMID: 25903452 PMCID: PMC4408771 DOI: 10.1101/lm.037440.114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2014] [Accepted: 03/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Time–place learning (TPL) offers the possibility to study the functional interaction between cognition and the circadian system with aging. With TPL, animals link biological significant events with the location and the time of day. This what–where–when type of memory provides animals with an experience-based daily schedule. Mice were tested for TPL five times throughout their lifespan and showed (re)learning from below chance level at the age of 4, 7, 12, and 18 mo. In contrast, at the age of 22 mo these mice showed preservation of TPL memory (absence of memory loss), together with deficiencies in the ability to update time-of-day information. Conversely, the majority of untrained (naïve) mice at 17 mo of age were unable to acquire TPL, indicating that training had delayed TPL deficiencies in the mice trained over lifespan. Two out of seven naïve mice, however, compensated for correct performance loss by adapting an alternative learning strategy that is independent of the age-deteriorating circadian system and presumably less cognitively demanding. Together, these data show the age-sensitivity of TPL, and the positive effects of repeated training over a lifetime. In addition, these data shed new light on aging-related loss of behavioral flexibility to update time-of-day information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cornelis K Mulder
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands Department of Chronobiology, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Gerlof A R Reckman
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Menno P Gerkema
- Department of Chronobiology, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Eddy A Van der Zee
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
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28
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Krivova NA, Zaeva OB, Grigorieva VA. Effect of a water-maze procedure on the redox mechanisms in brain parts of aged rats. Front Aging Neurosci 2015; 7:29. [PMID: 25814952 PMCID: PMC4356083 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2015.00029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2014] [Accepted: 02/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The Morris water maze (MWM) is a tool for assessment of age-related modulations spatial learning and memory in laboratory rats. In our work was investigated the age-related decline of MWM performance in 11-month-old rats and the effect exerted by training in the MWM on the redox mechanisms in rat brain parts. Young adult (3-month-old) and aged (11-month-old) male rats were trained in the MWM. Intact animals of the corresponding age were used as the reference groups. The level of pro- and antioxidant capacity in brain tissue homogenates was assessed using the chemiluminescence method. A reduced performance in the MWM test was found in 11-month-old rats: at the first day of training they showed only 30% of successful MWM trials. However, at the last training day the percentage of successful trials was equal for young adult and aged animals. This indicates that the aged 11-month-old rats can successfully learn in MWM. Therewith, the MWM spatial learning procedure itself produces changes in different processes of redox homeostasis in 11-month-old and 3-month-old rats as compared to intact animals. Young adult rats showed a decrease in prooxidant capacity in all brain parts, while 11-month-old rats demonstrated an increase in antioxidant capacity in the olfactory bulb, pons + medulla oblongata and frontal lobe cortex. Hence, the MWM procedure activates the mechanisms that restrict the oxidative stress in brain parts. The obtained results may be an argument for further development of the animal training procedures aimed to activate the mechanisms that can prevent the age-related deterioration of performance in the learning test. This may be useful not only for the development of training procedures applicable to human patients with age-related cognitive impairments, but also for their rehabilitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia A Krivova
- Laboratory of Experimental Physiology, Institute of Biology and Biophysics, Tomsk State University Tomsk, Russia
| | - Olga B Zaeva
- Laboratory of Experimental Physiology, Institute of Biology and Biophysics, Tomsk State University Tomsk, Russia
| | - Valery A Grigorieva
- Laboratory of Experimental Physiology, Institute of Biology and Biophysics, Tomsk State University Tomsk, Russia
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Spatial reference memory in normal aging Fischer 344 × Brown Norway F1 hybrid rats. Neurobiol Aging 2014; 36:323-33. [PMID: 25086838 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2014.06.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2014] [Revised: 06/24/2014] [Accepted: 06/28/2014] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Fischer 344 × Brown Norway F1 (F344 × BN-F1) hybrid rats express greater longevity with improved health relative to aging rodents of other strains; however, few behavioral reports have thoroughly evaluated cognition across the F344 × BN-F1 lifespan. Consequently, this study evaluated spatial reference memory in F344 × BN-F1 rats at 6, 18, 24, or 28 months of age in the Morris water maze. Reference memory decrements were observed between 6 and 18 months and 18 and 24 months. At 28 months, spatial learning was not worse than 24 months, but swim speed was significantly slower. Reliable individual differences revealed that ∼50% of 24- to 28-month-old rats performed similarly to 6 months, whereas others were spatial learning impaired. Aged rats were impaired at learning within daily training sessions but not impaired at retaining information between days of training. Aged rats were also slower to learn to escape onto the platform, regardless of strategy. In summary, these data clarify the trajectory of cognitive decline in aging F344 × BN-F1 rats and elucidate relevant behavioral parameters.
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30
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No role for vitamin D or a moderate fat diet in aging induced cognitive decline and emotional reactivity in C57BL/6 mice. Behav Brain Res 2014; 267:133-43. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.03.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2014] [Revised: 03/18/2014] [Accepted: 03/20/2014] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
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