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Guarino A, Pignata P, Lovisari F, Asth L, Simonato M, Soukupova M. Cognitive comorbidities in the rat pilocarpine model of epilepsy. Front Neurol 2024; 15:1392977. [PMID: 38872822 PMCID: PMC11171745 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1392977] [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: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Patients with epilepsy are prone to cognitive decline, depression, anxiety and other behavioral disorders. Cognitive comorbidities are particularly common and well-characterized in people with temporal lobe epilepsy, while inconsistently addressed in epileptic animals. Therefore, the aim of this study was to ascertain whether there is good evidence of cognitive comorbidities in animal models of epilepsy, in particular in the rat pilocarpine model of temporal lobe epilepsy. We searched the literature published between 1990 and 2023. The association of spontaneous recurrent seizures induced by pilocarpine with cognitive alterations has been evaluated by using various tests: contextual fear conditioning (CFC), novel object recognition (NOR), radial and T-maze, Morris water maze (MWM) and their variants. Combination of results was difficult because of differences in methodological standards, in number of animals employed, and in outcome measures. Taken together, however, the analysis confirmed that pilocarpine-induced epilepsy has an effect on cognition in rats, and supports the notion that this is a valid model for assessment of cognitive temporal lobe epilepsy comorbidities in preclinical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annunziata Guarino
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Section of Pharmacology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Paola Pignata
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Section of Pharmacology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Francesca Lovisari
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Section of Pharmacology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Laila Asth
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Section of Pharmacology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Michele Simonato
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Section of Pharmacology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
- Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Marie Soukupova
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Section of Pharmacology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
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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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Sérgio Galina Spilla C, Luiza Decanini Miranda de Souza A, Maria Guissoni Campos L, da Silveira Cruz-Machado S, Pinato L. LPS-induced inflammation in rats during pregnancy reduces maternal melatonin and impairs neurochemistry and behavior of adult male offspring. Brain Res 2024; 1824:148692. [PMID: 38036237 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2023.148692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
Inflammation during pregnancy can induce neurodevelopmental changes that affect the neurological health of offspring. Elevated levels of circulating inflammatory cytokines have been shown to decrease nocturnal melatonin synthesis by the pineal gland, potentially impacting fetal development. This study aimed to assess the effects of LPS-induced inflammation on melatonin concentrations in the plasma of pregnant female rats and explore resulting neurochemical and behavioral changes in their offspring. Our findings revealed that pregnant rats injected with LPS experienced decreased nocturnal melatonin levels in their plasma, with an increase in diurnal melatonin content. The offspring exhibited reduced performance in tests evaluating motor coordination and spatial memory compared to control subjects. Immunohistochemical analysis indicated a decline in calbindin immunoreactivity in Purkinje cells in the cerebellum. Additionally, the hippocampus displayed an increase in IBA-1 and calretinin expression, coupled with a reduction in parvalbumin expression in the offspring of the LPS group. Collectively, this study provides compelling evidence that an inflammatory state can lead to a reduction in melatonin synthesis in pregnant females, potentially impacting the neurodevelopment of offspring, including neuronal, glial, motor, and cognitive aspects. Subsequent studies will further elucidate the mechanisms underlying inflammation-induced maternal melatonin reduction and its impact on offspring neurodevelopment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Luciana Pinato
- Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Marília, São Paulo 17525-900, Brazil.
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Lail H, Mabb AM, Parent MB, Pinheiro F, Wanders D. Effects of Dietary Methionine Restriction on Cognition in Mice. Nutrients 2023; 15:4950. [PMID: 38068808 PMCID: PMC10707861 DOI: 10.3390/nu15234950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Dietary restriction of the essential amino acid, methionine, has been shown to induce unique metabolic protection. The peripheral benefits of methionine restriction (MR) are well established and include improvements in metabolic, energy, inflammatory, and lifespan parameters in preclinical models. These benefits all occur despite MR increasing energy intake, making MR an attractive dietary intervention for the prevention or reversal of many metabolic and chronic conditions. New and emerging evidence suggests that MR also benefits the brain and promotes cognitive health. Despite widespread interest in MR over the past few decades, many findings are limited in scope, and gaps remain in our understanding of its comprehensive effects on the brain and cognition. This review details the current literature investigating the impact of MR on cognition in various mouse models, highlights some of the key mechanisms responsible for its cognitive benefits, and identifies gaps that should be addressed in MR research moving forward. Overall findings indicate that in animal models, MR is associated with protection against obesity-, age-, and Alzheimer's disease-induced impairments in learning and memory that depend on different brain regions, including the prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and hippocampus. These benefits are likely mediated by increases in fibroblast growth factor 21, alterations in methionine metabolism pathways, reductions in neuroinflammation and central oxidative stress, and potentially alterations in the gut microbiome, mitochondrial function, and synaptic plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Lail
- Department of Nutrition, Georgia State University, 140 Decatur St SE, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA; (H.L.); (F.P.)
- Department of Chemistry, Georgia State University, 100 Piedmont Ave., Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
| | - Angela M. Mabb
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, 100 Piedmont Ave., Atlanta, GA 30302, USA; (A.M.M.); (M.B.P.)
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA
| | - Marise B. Parent
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, 100 Piedmont Ave., Atlanta, GA 30302, USA; (A.M.M.); (M.B.P.)
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, 140 Decatur St SE, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
| | - Filipe Pinheiro
- Department of Nutrition, Georgia State University, 140 Decatur St SE, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA; (H.L.); (F.P.)
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
| | - Desiree Wanders
- Department of Nutrition, Georgia State University, 140 Decatur St SE, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA; (H.L.); (F.P.)
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