Abstract
AimsPostoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is a common and significant syndrome. Our previous studies have shown that surgery reduces dendritic arborization and spine density and that environment enrichment (EE) reduces POCD. Neuroligin 1 is a postsynaptic protein involved in the formation of postsynaptic protein complex. This study was designed to determine the role of neuroligin 1 in the protection of EE against POCD and the mechanisms for EE to affect neuroligin 1 expression.MethodsEight‐week‐old C57BL/6J male mice with or without EE for 3, 7, or 14 days had right carotid artery exposure under isoflurane anesthesia. An anti‐neuroligin 1 antibody at 1.5 µg/mouse was injected intracerebroventricularly at one and two weeks before the surgery. Mice were subjected to the Barnes maze and fear conditioning tests from one week after the surgery. Cerebral cortex and hippocampus were harvested after surgery.ResultsMice with surgery had poorer performance in the Barnes maze and fear conditioning tests than control mice. EE for 2 weeks, but not EE for 3 or 7 days, improved the performance of surgery mice in these tests. Surgery reduced neuroligin 1 in the hippocampus. Preoperative EE for 2 weeks attenuated this reduction. The anti‐neuroligin 1 antibody worsened the performance of mice with surgery plus EE in the Barnes maze and fear conditioning tests. Surgery increased histone deacetylase activity and decreased the acetylated histone in the hippocampus. EE attenuated these surgery effects.ConclusionOur results suggest that preoperative EE for 2 weeks reduces POCD. This effect may be mediated by preserving neuroligin 1 expression via attenuating surgery‐induced epigenetic dysregulation in the brain.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.