Hippocampal-dependent Cognitive Function Research Articles

Autism-Like Behaviours and Memory Deficits Result from a Western Diet in Mice.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, induced by a Western diet (WD), evokes central and peripheral inflammation that is accompanied by altered emotionality. These changes can be associated with abnormalities in social behaviour, hippocampus-dependent cognitive functions, and metabolism. Female C57BL/6J mice were fed with a regular chow or with a WD containing 0.2% of cholesterol and 21% of saturated fat for three weeks. WD-treated mice exhibited increased social avoidance, crawl-over and digging behaviours, decreased body-body contacts, and hyperlocomotion. The WD-fed group also displayed deficits in hippocampal-dependent performance such as contextual memory in a fear conditioning and pellet displacement paradigms. A reduction in glucose tolerance and elevated levels of serum cholesterol and leptin were also associated with the WD. The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha (PPARGC1a) mRNA, a marker of mitochondrial activity, was decreased in the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, hypothalamus, and dorsal raphe, suggesting suppressed brain mitochondrial functions, but not in the liver. This is the first report to show that a WD can profoundly suppress social interactions and induce dominant-like behaviours in naïve adult mice. The spectrum of behaviours that were found to be induced are reminiscent of symptoms associated with autism, and, if paralleled in humans, suggest that a WD might exacerbate autism spectrum disorder.

Hippocampal sparing in brain radiotherapy

Radiotherapy is one of the principal methods for treating brain cancer. Over recent years, a decline in patient quality of life has increasingly been observed in those undergoing brain irradiation, where hippocampal-dependent cognitive function has become impaired. The hippocampus is a paired structure of the limbic system situated in the medial temporal lobes of the telencephalon. Preliminary findings suggest that irradiation damaged neural stem cells in the hippocampus undergo apoptosis, resulting in deteriorating cognitive function. Despite the technical aspects for affording hippocampal avoidance during irradiation, much controversy still surrounds the techniques that shield the hippocampus without reducing the benefits of the intended radiotherapy for a given clinical condition. Furthermore, a tolerated radiation dose sufficient for preserving neural stem cell function has not been yet established. Delivering a method for an unequivocal assessment of cognitive function, post-irradiation, is also fraught with difficulty. Hitherto, only subjective psychological testing have been applied such as MMSE, HVLT or AVLT methods. Objective methods for optimally determining radiation-induced injury to the hippocampal region are still being investigated.

The phosphodiesterase type 2 inhibitor BAY 60-7550 reverses functional impairments induced by brain ischemia by decreasing hippocampal neurodegeneration and enhancing hippocampal neuronal plasticity.

Cognitive and affective impairments are the most characterized consequences following cerebral ischemia. BAY 60-7550, a selective phosphodiesterase type 2 inhibitor (PDE2-I), presents memory-enhancing and anxiolytic-like properties. The behavioral effects of BAY 60-7550 have been associated with its ability to prevent hydrolysis of both cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) thereby interfering with neuronal plasticity. Here, we hypothesize that PDE2-I treatment could promote functional recovery after brain ischemia. Mice C57Bl/6 were submitted to bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCCAO), an experimental model of transient brain ischemia, for 20min. During 21days after reperfusion, the animals were tested in a battery of behavioral tests including the elevated zero maze (EZM), object location task (OLT) and forced swim test (FST). The effects of BAY 60-7550 were evaluated on neuronal nuclei (NeuN), caspase-9, cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB), phosphorylated CREB (pCREB) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression in the hippocampus. BCCAO increased anxiety levels, impaired hippocampus-dependent cognitive function and induced despair-like behavior in mice. Hippocampal neurodegeneration was evidenced by a decrease in NeuN and increase incaspase-9 protein levels in BCCAO mice. Ischemic mice also showed low BDNF protein levels in the hippocampus. Repeated treatment with BAY 60-7550 attenuated the behavioral impairments induced by BCCAO in mice. Concomitantly, BAY 60-7550 enhanced expression of pCREB and BDNF protein levels in the hippocampus of ischemic mice. The present findings suggest that chronic inhibition of PDE2 provides functional recovery in BCCAO mice possibly by augmenting hippocampal neuronal plasticity.

AP2γ controls adult hippocampal neurogenesis and modulates cognitive, but not anxiety or depressive-like behavior.

Hippocampal neurogenesis has been proposed to participate in a myriad of behavioral responses, both in basal states and in the context of neuropsychiatric disorders. Here, we identify activating protein 2γ (AP2γ, also known as Tcfap2c), originally described to regulate the generation of neurons in the developing cortex, as a modulator of adult hippocampal glutamatergic neurogenesis in mice. Specifically, AP2γ is present in a sub-population of hippocampal transient amplifying progenitors. There, it is found to act as a positive regulator of the cell fate determinants Tbr2 and NeuroD, promoting proliferation and differentiation of new glutamatergic granular neurons. Conditional ablation of AP2γ in the adult brain significantly reduced hippocampal neurogenesis and disrupted neural coherence between the ventral hippocampus and the medial prefrontal cortex. Furthermore, it resulted in the precipitation of multimodal cognitive deficits. This indicates that the sub-population of AP2γ-positive hippocampal progenitors may constitute an important cellular substrate for hippocampal-dependent cognitive functions. Concurrently, AP2γ deletion produced significant impairments in contextual memory and reversal learning. More so, in a water maze reference memory task a delay in the transition to cognitive strategies relying on hippocampal function integrity was observed. Interestingly, anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors were not significantly affected. Altogether, findings open new perspectives in understanding the role of specific sub-populations of newborn neurons in the (patho)physiology of neuropsychiatric disorders affecting hippocampal neuroplasticity and cognitive function in the adult brain.

Spatial memory is impaired by peripubertal GnRH agonist treatment and testosterone replacement in sheep

Chronic gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) is used therapeutically to block activity within the reproductive axis through down-regulation of GnRH receptors within the pituitary gland. GnRH receptors are also expressed in non-reproductive tissues, including areas of the brain such as the hippocampus and amygdala. The impact of long-term GnRHa-treatment on hippocampus-dependent cognitive functions, such as spatial orientation, learning and memory, is not well studied, particularly when treatment encompasses a critical window of development such as puberty. The current study used an ovine model to assess spatial maze performance and memory of rams that were untreated (Controls), had both GnRH and testosterone signaling blocked (GnRHa-treated), or specifically had GnRH signaling blocked (GnRHa-treated with testosterone replacement) during the peripubertal period (8, 27 and 41 weeks of age). The results demonstrate that emotional reactivity during spatial tasks was compromised by the blockade of gonadal steroid signaling, as seen by the restorative effects of testosterone replacement, while traverse times remained unchanged during assessment of spatial orientation and learning. The blockade of GnRH signaling alone was associated with impaired retention of long-term spatial memory and this effect was not restored with the replacement of testosterone signaling. These results indicate that GnRH signaling is involved in the retention and recollection of spatial information, potentially via alterations to spatial reference memory, and that therapeutic medical treatments using chronic GnRHa may have effects on this aspect of cognitive function.

Adenosine Kinase Inhibition Protects against Cranial Radiation-Induced Cognitive Dysfunction.

Clinical radiation therapy for the treatment of CNS cancers leads to unintended and debilitating impairments in cognition. Radiation-induced cognitive dysfunction is long lasting; however, the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms are still not well established. Since ionizing radiation causes microglial and astroglial activation, we hypothesized that maladaptive changes in astrocyte function might be implicated in radiation-induced cognitive dysfunction. Among other gliotransmitters, astrocytes control the availability of adenosine, an endogenous neuroprotectant and modulator of cognition, via metabolic clearance through adenosine kinase (ADK). Adult rats exposed to cranial irradiation (10 Gy) showed significant declines in performance of hippocampal-dependent cognitive function tasks [novel place recognition, novel object recognition (NOR), and contextual fear conditioning (FC)] 1 month after exposure to ionizing radiation using a clinically relevant regimen. Irradiated rats spent less time exploring a novel place or object. Cranial irradiation also led to reduction in freezing behavior compared to controls in the FC task. Importantly, immunohistochemical analyses of irradiated brains showed significant elevation of ADK immunoreactivity in the hippocampus that was related to astrogliosis and increased expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Conversely, rats treated with the ADK inhibitor 5-iodotubercidin (5-ITU, 3.1 mg/kg, i.p., for 6 days) prior to cranial irradiation showed significantly improved behavioral performance in all cognitive tasks 1 month post exposure. Treatment with 5-ITU attenuated radiation-induced astrogliosis and elevated ADK immunoreactivity in the hippocampus. These results confirm an astrocyte-mediated mechanism where preservation of extracellular adenosine can exert neuroprotection against radiation-induced pathology. These innovative findings link radiation-induced changes in cognition and CNS functionality to altered purine metabolism and astrogliosis, thereby linking the importance of adenosine homeostasis in the brain to radiation injury.

Physical exercise counteracts MPTP-induced changes in neural precursor cell proliferation in the hippocampus and restores spatial learning but not memory performance in the water maze

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is characterized by a continuous loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra, which not only leads to characteristic motor symptoms but also to cognitive impairments. Physical exercise has been shown to improve hippocampus-dependent cognitive functions in PD patients. Animal studies have demonstrated the involvement of adult hippocampal neurogenesis in exercise-induced improvements of visuo-spatial learning and memory. Here, we investigated the direct impact of voluntary wheel running on hippocampal neurogenesis and spatial learning and memory in the Morris water maze (MWM) using the1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) mouse model of PD. We also analyzed striatal and hippocampal dopamine transmission and mRNA expression levels of dopamine receptors. We show that MPTP-induced spatial learning deficits were alleviated by short-term physical exercise but not MPTP-induced spatial memory impairments in either exercise intervention group. Neural precursor proliferation was transiently altered in MPTP-treated mice, while the cell survival was increased by exercise. Dopamine was progressively depleted by MPTP and its turnover altered by exercise. In addition, gene expression of dopamine receptor D1/D5 was transiently upregulated following MPTP treatment but not affected by physical exercise. Our findings suggest that physical exercise benefits spatial learning but not memory performance in the MWM after MPTP-induced dopamine depletion by restoring precursor cell proliferation in the hippocampus and influencing dopamine transmission. This adds to the understanding of cognitive decline and mechanisms for potential improvements by physical exercise in PD patients.

Astaxanthin supplementation enhances adult hippocampal neurogenesis and spatial memory in mice.

There is a growing necessity for efficacious natural supplements with antioxidant effects on the brain, in particular, hippocampal function. One such compound, which also has a neuroprotective effect, is the carotenoid astaxanthin (ASX). Despite ASX's potential benefit to the brain, very little is known about its effect on hippocampal plasticity and cognition. Thus, we investigated the effect of ASX on adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN) and spatial memory using a mouse model. Dose-response was examined in mice fed ASX-supplemented diets (0, 0.02, 0.1, and 0.5%) to define the effect of ASX on AHN. In conjunction with AHN results, hippocampus-dependent cognitive function was assessed. We delineated molecular mechanisms associated with ASX-enhanced AHN using DNA microarray analysis. Results revealed that ASX enhanced cell proliferation and survival at 0.1% and 0.5% doses. Newborn mature neurons were higher only with 0.5% ASX, which also enhanced spatial memory. Transcriptomic profiling revealed potential AHN-associated molecules (Prl, Itga4, and Il4) that were ASX induced. Their downstream factors, identified through Ingenuity Pathway Analysis, were positively correlated with ASX-induced increases in spatial memory. ASX supplementation enhanced AHN and spatial memory, and a DNA microarray approach provided, for the first time, novel molecular insights into ASX action.

Increased bone morphogenetic protein signaling contributes to age-related declines in neurogenesis and cognition

Aging is associated with decreased neurogenesis in the hippocampus and diminished hippocampus-dependent cognitive functions. Expression of bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) increases with age by more than 10-fold in the mouse dentate gyrus while levels of the BMP inhibitor, noggin, decrease. This results in a profound 30-fold increase in phosphorylated-SMAD1/5/8, the effector of canonical BMP signaling. Just as observed in mice, a profound increase in expression of BMP4 is observed in the dentate gyrus of humans with no known cognitive abnormalities. Inhibition of BMP signaling either by overexpression of noggin or transgenic manipulation not only increases neurogenesis in aging mice, but remarkably, is associated with a rescue of cognitive deficits to levels comparable to young mice. Additive benefits are observed when combining inhibition of BMP signaling and environmental enrichment. These findings indicate that increased BMP signaling contributes significantly to impairments in neurogenesis and to cognitive decline associated with aging, and identify this pathway as a potential druggable target for reversing age-related changes in cognition.

Nicotinic receptor excitation of descending pain modulatory pathways

Synchronization of neuronal network oscillations within the cortex and hippocampus has been closely linked to various cognitive domains, including attention, learning, and memory. The frequency, power, and connectivity of hippocampal oscillations provide quantitative measures for examining the modulation of network activity, which influences mnemonic functions and memory formation. The wide distribution of α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (α7 nAChRs) throughout the hippocampus makes them well positioned to modulate neuronal network activity. Elicitation of hippocampal theta through high frequency stimulation of the brainstem nucleus pontis oralis (nPO) is shown to be sensitive to several agents exhibiting pharmacological effects on cognition, thus representing a suitable preclinical screening assay for such drugs, including α7 nAChR agonists. We hypothesize that increases in theta power and theta-phase gamma-amplitude coupling due to α7 nAChR agonists during elicited hippocampal oscillations could reflect changes in synchronous activity of pyramidal neurons which is a critical factor for hippocampal-dependent cognitive function. In this review, four major topics are discussed: neuronal network oscillations in the hippocampus, the characteristics and distribution of α7 nAChRs therein, the modulation of elicited hippocampal theta and gamma oscillations by α7 nAChR agonists, as well as potential intrinsic roles of α7 nAChRs in hippocampal oscillations using α7 nAChR knock-out mice.

Chronic Alcohol Exposure is Associated with Decreased Neurogenesis, Aberrant Integration of Newborn Neurons, and Cognitive Dysfunction in Female Mice.

Neurological deficits of alcohol use disorder (AUD) have been attributed to dysfunctions of specific brain structures. Studies of alcoholic patients and chronic alcohol exposure animal models consistently identify reduced hippocampal mass and cogntive dysfunctions as a key alcohol-induced brain adaptation. However, the precise substrate of chronic alcohol exposure that leads to structural and functional impairments of the hippocampus is largely unknown. Using a calorie-matched alcohol feeding method, we tested whether chronic alcohol exposure targets neural stem cells and neurogenesis in the adult hippocampus. The effect of alcohol on proliferation of neural stem cells as well as cell fate determination and survival of newborn cells was evaluated via bromodeoxyuridine pulse and chase methods. A retrovirus-mediated single-cell labeling method was used to determine the effect of alcohol on the morphological development and circuitry incorporation of individual hippocampal newborn neurons. Finally, novel object recognition (NOR) and Y-maze tests were performed to examine whether disrupted neurogenesis is associated with hippocampus-dependent functional deficits in alcohol-fed mice. Chronic alcohol exposure reduced proliferation of neural stem cells and survival rate of newborn neurons; however, the fate determination of newborn cells remained unaltered. Moreover, the dendritic spine density of newborn neurons significantly decreased in alcohol-fed mice. Impaired spine formation indicates that alcohol interfered the synaptic connectivity of newborn neurons with excitatory neurons originating from various areas of the brain. In the NOR test, alcohol-fed mice displayed deficits in the ability to discriminate the novel object. Our study revealed that chronic alcohol exposure disrupted multiple steps of neurogenesis, including the production and development of newborn neurons. In addition, chronic alcohol exposure altered connectivity of newborn neurons with other input neurons. Decreased neurogenesis and aberrant integration of newborn neurons into hippocampal networks are closely associated with deficits in hippocampus-dependent cognitive functions of alcohol-fed mice.

β2-microglobulin is a systemic pro-aging factor that impairs cognitive function and neurogenesis.

Aging drives cognitive and regenerative impairments in the adult brain, increasing susceptibility to neurodegenerative disorders in healthy individuals. Experiments using heterochronic parabiosis, in which the circulatory systems of young and old animals are joined, indicate that circulating pro-aging factors in old blood drive aging phenotypes in the brain. Here we identify β2-microglobulin (B2M), a component of major histocompatibility complex class 1 (MHC I) molecules, as a circulating factor that negatively regulates cognitive and regenerative function in the adult hippocampus in an age-dependent manner. B2M is elevated in the blood of aging humans and mice, and it is increased within the hippocampus of aged mice and young heterochronic parabionts. Exogenous B2M injected systemically, or locally in the hippocampus, impairs hippocampal-dependent cognitive function and neurogenesis in young mice. The negative effects of B2M and heterochronic parabiosis are, in part, mitigated in the hippocampus of young transporter associated with antigen processing 1 (Tap1)-deficient mice with reduced cell surface expression of MHC I. The absence of endogenous B2M expression abrogates age-related cognitive decline and enhances neurogenesis in aged mice. Our data indicate that systemic B2M accumulation in aging blood promotes age-related cognitive dysfunction and impairs neurogenesis, in part via MHC I, suggesting that B2M may be targeted therapeutically in old age.

Hippocampal (subfield) volume and shape in relation to cognitive performance across the adult lifespan.

Newer approaches to characterizing hippocampal morphology can provide novel insights regarding cognitive function across the lifespan. We comprehensively assessed the relationships among age, hippocampal morphology, and hippocampal-dependent cognitive function in 137 healthy individuals across the adult lifespan (18-86 years of age). They underwent MRI, cognitive assessments and genotyping for Apolipoprotein E status. We measured hippocampal subfield volumes using a new multiatlas segmentation tool (MAGeT-Brain) and assessed vertex-wise (inward and outward displacements) and global surface-based descriptions of hippocampus morphology. We examined the effects of age on hippocampal morphology, as well as the relationship among age, hippocampal morphology, and episodic and working memory performance. Age and volume were modestly correlated across hippocampal subfields. Significant patterns of inward and outward displacement in hippocampal head and tail were associated with age. The first principal shape component of the left hippocampus, characterized by a lengthening of the antero-posterior axis was prominently associated with working memory performance across the adult lifespan. In contrast, no significant relationships were found among subfield volumes and cognitive performance. Our findings demonstrate that hippocampal shape plays a unique and important role in hippocampal-dependent cognitive aging across the adult lifespan, meriting consideration as a biomarker in strategies targeting the delay of cognitive aging.

Obesity in Aging Exacerbates Blood Brain Barrier Disruption and Neuroinflammation Leading to Synaptic Plasticity Deficit and Cognitive Decline in Mice

There is growing evidence that obesity promotes vascular cognitive impairment in the elderly. Although obesity affects 38% of individuals aged 65 and older in the U.S., the specific microvascular mechanisms through which aging and obesity interact to promote cognitive decline remain unclear. To test the hypothesis that aging exacerbates obesity-induced microvascular damage we compared young (7 mo) and aged (24 mo) control and high fat diet-fed obese C57BL/6 mice. We found that aging exacerbated obesity-induced blood brain barrier (BBB) disruption and neuroinflammation, as indicated by increased microglia activation, pro-inflammatory cytokine expression and oxidative stress. Obesity-induced neuroinflammation in aged mice was associated with impaired hippocampal-dependent cognitive function and reduced long-term potentiation (LTP) elicited by high frequency stimulation in hippocampal slices. Obesity-induced neuroinflammation in aged mice was associated with decline in hippocampal expression of several genes involved in learning, memory formation and LTP, including Grik1, Grik5, Gap43, Cask and Syngr1 (targeted qPCR array). Collectively, obesity-induced BBB disruption leads to a heightened state of neuroinflammation and significant synaptic plasticity deficit, which likely contribute to the significant cognitive decline observed in aged obese animals.

Chewing Maintains Hippocampus-Dependent Cognitive Function.

Mastication (chewing) is important not only for food intake, but also for preserving and promoting the general health. Recent studies have showed that mastication helps to maintain cognitive functions in the hippocampus, a central nervous system region vital for spatial memory and learning. The purpose of this paper is to review the recent progress of the association between mastication and the hippocampus-dependent cognitive function. There are multiple neural circuits connecting the masticatory organs and the hippocampus. Both animal and human studies indicated that cognitive functioning is influenced by mastication. Masticatory dysfunction is associated with the hippocampal morphological impairments and the hippocampus-dependent spatial memory deficits, especially in elderly. Mastication is an effective behavior for maintaining the hippocampus-dependent cognitive performance, which deteriorates with aging. Therefore, chewing may represent a useful approach in preserving and promoting the hippocampus-dependent cognitive function in older people. We also discussed several possible mechanisms involved in the interaction between mastication and the hippocampal neurogenesis and the future directions for this unique fascinating research.

The adaptive and maladaptive continuum of stress responses - a hippocampal perspective.

Exposure to stressors elicits a spectrum of responses that span from potentially adaptive to maladaptive consequences at the structural, cellular and physiological level. These responses are particularly pronounced in the hippocampus where they also appear to influence hippocampal-dependent cognitive function and emotionality. The factors that influence the nature of stress-evoked consequences include the chronicity, severity, predictability and controllability of the stressors. In addition to adult-onset stress, early life stress also elicits a wide range of structural and functional responses, which often exhibit life-long persistence. However, the outcome of early stress exposure is often contingent on the environment experienced in adulthood, and could either aid in stress coping or could serve to enhance susceptibility to the negative consequences of adult stress. This review comprehensively examines the consequences of adult and early life stressors on the hippocampus, with a focus on their effects on neurogenesis, neuronal survival, structural and synaptic plasticity and hippocampal-dependent behaviors. Further, we discuss potential factors that may tip stress-evoked consequences from being potentially adaptive to largely maladaptive.

Radiation-Induced Alterations in Synaptic Neurotransmission of Dentate Granule Cells Depend on the Dose and Species of Charged Particles

The evaluation of potential health risks associated with neuronal exposure to space radiation is critical for future long duration space travel. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the effects of low-dose proton and high-energy charged particle (HZE) radiation on electrophysiological parameters of the granule cells in the dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus and its associated functional consequences. We examined excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission in DG granule cells (DGCs) in dorsal hippocampal slices from male C57BL/6 mice at 3 months after whole body irradiation with accelerated proton, silicon or iron particles. Multielectrode arrays were used to investigate evoked field synaptic potentials, an extracellular measurement of synaptic excitability in the perforant path to DG synaptic pathway. Whole-cell patch clamp recordings were used to measure miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs) and miniature inhibitory postsynaptic currents (mIPSCs) in DGCs. Exposure to proton radiation increased synaptic excitability and produced dose-dependent decreases in amplitude and charge transfer of mIPSCs, without affecting the expression of γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptor α2, β3 and γ2 subunits determined by Western blotting. Exposure to silicon radiation had no significant effects on synaptic excitability, mEPSCs or mIPSCs of DGCs. Exposure to iron radiation had no effect on synaptic excitability and mIPSCs, but significantly increased mEPSC frequency at 1 Gy, without changes in mEPSC kinetics, suggesting a presynaptic mechanism. Overall, the data suggest that proton and HZE exposure results in radiation dose- and species-dependent long-lasting alterations in synaptic neurotransmission, which could cause radiation-induced impairment of hippocampal-dependent cognitive functions.

Chronic early life stress alters developmental and adult neurogenesis and impairs cognitive function in mice.

Early life stress (ES) increases vulnerability to psychopathology and impairs cognition in adulthood. These ES-induced deficits are associated with lasting changes in hippocampal plasticity. Detailed information on the neurobiological basis, the onset, and progression of such changes and their sex-specificity is currently lacking but is required to tailor specific intervention strategies. Here, we use a chronic ES mouse model based on limited nesting and bedding material from postnatal day (P) 2-9 to investigate; (1) if ES leads to impairments in hippocampus-dependent cognitive function in adulthood and (2) if these alterations are paralleled by changes in developmental and/or adult hippocampal neurogenesis. ES increased developmental neurogenesis (proliferation and differentiation) in the dentate gyrus (DG) at P9, and the number of immature (NeurD1(+)) cells migrating postnatally from the secondary dentate matrix, indicating prompt changes in DG structure in both sexes. ES lastingly reduced DG volume and the long-term survival of developmentally born neurons in both sexes at P150. In adult male mice only, ES reduced survival of adult-born neurons (BrdU/NeuN(+) cells), while proliferation (Ki67(+)) and differentiation (DCX(+)) were unaffected. These changes correlated with impaired performance in all learning and memory tasks used here. In contrast, in female mice, despite early alterations in developmental neurogenesis, no lasting changes were present in adult neurogenesis after ES and the cognitive impairments were less prominent and only apparent in some cognitive tasks. We further show that, although neurogenesis and cognition correlate positively, only the hippocampus-dependent functions depend on changes in neurogenesis, whereas cognitive functions that are not exclusively hippocampus-dependent do not. This study indicates that chronic ES has lasting consequences on hippocampal structure and function in mice and suggests that male mice are more susceptible to ES than females. Unraveling the mechanisms that underlie the persistent ES-induced effects may have clinical implications for treatments to counteract ES-induced deficits.

Aging exacerbates obesity-induced cerebromicrovascular rarefaction, neurovascular uncoupling, and cognitive decline in mice.

Epidemiological studies show that obesity has deleterious effects on the brain and cognitive function in the elderly population. However, the specific mechanisms through which aging and obesity interact to promote cognitive decline remain unclear. To test the hypothesis that aging exacerbates obesity-induced cerebromicrovascular impairment, we compared young (7 months) and aged (24 months) high-fat diet-fed obese C57BL/6 mice. We found that aging exacerbates the obesity-induced decline in microvascular density both in the hippocampus and in the cortex. The extent of hippocampal microvascular rarefaction and the extent of impairment of hippocampal-dependent cognitive function positively correlate. Aging exacerbates obesity-induced loss of pericyte coverage on cerebral microvessels and alters hippocampal angiogenic gene expression signature, which likely contributes to microvascular rarefaction. Aging also exacerbates obesity-induced oxidative stress and induction of NADPH oxidase and impairs cerebral blood flow responses to whisker stimulation. Collectively, obesity exerts deleterious cerebrovascular effects in aged mice, promoting cerebromicrovascular rarefaction and neurovascular uncoupling. The morphological and functional impairment of the cerebral microvasculature in association with increased blood-brain barrier disruption and neuroinflammation (Tucsek Z, Toth P, Sosnowsk D, et al. Obesity in aging exacerbates blood-brain barrier disruption, neuroinflammation and oxidative stress in the mouse hippocampus: effects on expression of genes involved in beta-amyloid generation and Alzheimer's disease. J Gerontol Biol Med Sci. 2013. In press, PMID: 24269929) likely contribute to obesity-induced cognitive decline in aging.

Effects of thyroxin and donepezil on hippocampal acetylcholine content and syntaxin-1 and munc-18 expression in adult rats with hypothyroidism

Adult-onset hypothyroidism induces various impairments in hippocampus-dependent cognitive function, in which numerous synaptic proteins and neurotransmitters are involved. Donepezil (DON), an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, has been shown to be efficient in improving cognitive function. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of adult-onset hypothyroidism on the expression levels of the synaptic proteins syntaxin-1 and munc-18, as well as the content of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh) in the hippocampus. In addition, the study explored the effects of thyroxin (T4) and DON treatment on the altered parameters. The study involved 55 Sprague-Dawley rats that were randomly divided into five groups: Control, hypothyroid (0.05% 6-n-propyl-2-thiouracil; added to the drinking water), hypothyroid treated with T4 (6 μg/100 g body weight once daily; intraperitoneal injection), hypothyroid treated with DON (0.005%; added to the drinking water) and hypothyroid treated with a combination of the two drugs (6 μg/100 g T4 and 0.005% DON). The concentration of ACh was determined in the homogenized hippocampus of each animal by alkaline hydroxylamine colorimetry. The protein levels of syntaxin-1 and munc-18 were determined by immunohistochemistry. The results showed that the content of ACh in the hippocampi of the hypothyroid rats was significantly decreased compared with that in the controls and that T4 monotherapy and DON administration restored the ACh content to normal values. In the hippocampi of the hypothyroid group, munc-18 was expressed at significantly lower levels, while the expression levels of syntaxin-1 were increased compared with the levels in the control group. Treatment with T4 alone restored the expression of syntaxin-1 but failed to normalize munc-18 expression levels. The co-administration of T4 and DON returned the munc-18 levels to normal values. These observations indicate that adult-onset hypothyroidism induces alterations in the levels of munc-18, syntaxin-1 and ACh in the hippocampus. Syntaxin-1 and ACh levels were restored by T4 monotherapy while munc-18 levels were not. In addition, the co-administration of T4 and DON resulted in more effective restoration than either alone. The thyroid hormone has a direct effect on metabolism of hippocampal ACh in adult rats and DON is helpful for treatment of synaptic protein impairment induced by hypothyroidism.