Development of a water-escape motivated version of the Stone T-maze for mice

Pistell, Paul J.; Ingram, Donald K.

doi:10.1016/j.neuroscience.2009.12.029

Cited by 20 publications

(36 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…Expanding from our initial report indicating the capability of the water-motivated mouse STM to maintain motivation and assess learning and memory in young mice (Pistell and Ingram, 2010), the current findings indicate the mouse STM is capable of detecting age-associated declines in learning and memory using both water escape and shock escape-avoidance as motivational manipulations. Error performance across blocks of 5 trials for both maze tasks demonstrates that learning occurs in all age groups.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 61%

“…Additional details on the water-motivated version of the STM maze have previously been reported (Pistell and Ingram, 2010). A straight run (68.58 cm) was used for pretraining conducted on the day before training in the STM.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…An initial study demonstrated that the mouse STM reliably measures learning and memory in young mice, and that they consistently perform in the task (Pistell and Ingram, 2010). In the studies reported here, we demonstrate the ability of the mouse STM to detect age-associated declines in learning and memory using escape from water and footshock as motivational manipulations in two separate versions of the task.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Age-associated learning and memory deficits in two mouse versions of the stone T-maze

Pistell

Spangler

Kelly-Bell

et al. 2012

Neurobiology of Aging

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We have previously reported that a modified Stone T-maze (STM), using escape from water as motivation, was effective in evaluating learning and memory ability in young C57/BL6 mice. Here we report on the effectiveness and sensitivity of the STM in the assessment of age-related learning and memory deficits in mice using either escape from foot shock or water as the motivational manipulations. C57BL/6Nia mice 7-, 12-, 20- and 24-mo old received 15 massed trials in the escape from foot shock motivated STM while C57BL/6Nia mice 5-, 12-, and 25-mo old were tested in the escape from water STM. Analysis of errors, the main performance variable, revealed similar results in both versions of the task with younger mice making fewer errors. Notably mice of all ages in the water-motivated version moved quickly through the maze, while all ages of mice in the shock-motivated version tended to wait for shock to be initiated to move forward. Overall, both versions of the STM appear to be sensitive to age-related changes in learning and memory and provide an alternative to other testing paradigms such as the Morris water waze which are susceptible to performance confounds which can lead to uninterpretable results.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 61%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Age-associated learning and memory deficits in two mouse versions of the stone T-maze

Pistell

Spangler

Kelly-Bell

et al. 2012

Neurobiology of Aging

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“…Learning and memory were assessed using a Stone T-maze (19). Mice were placed in the maze that was submerged in 2 cm of water to encourage the mice to complete the maze.…”

Section: Srebp2 Expression In Astrocytes Is Required For Normal Brainmentioning

confidence: 99%

Loss of astrocyte cholesterol synthesis disrupts neuronal function and alters whole-body metabolism

Ferris

Perry

Moreira

et al. 2017

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

159

117

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Cholesterol is important for normal brain function. The brain synthesizes its own cholesterol, presumably in astrocytes. We have previously shown that diabetes results in decreased brain cholesterol synthesis by a reduction in sterol regulatory elementbinding protein 2 (SREBP2)-regulated transcription. Here we show that coculture of control astrocytes with neurons enhances neurite outgrowth, and this is reduced with SREBP2 knockdown astrocytes. In vivo, mice with knockout of SREBP2 in astrocytes have impaired brain development and behavioral and motor defects. These mice also have altered energy balance, altered body composition, and a shift in metabolism toward carbohydrate oxidation driven by increased glucose oxidation by the brain. Thus, SREBP2-mediated cholesterol synthesis in astrocytes plays an important role in brain and neuronal development and function, and altered brain cholesterol synthesis may contribute to the interaction between metabolic diseases, such as diabetes and altered brain function.T he brain is one of the most cholesterol-rich organs in the body, with cholesterol playing an important role in membrane fluidity, vesicle formation, and synaptogenesis (1). Cholesterol levels are tightly controlled by sterol regulatory element-binding protein 2 (SREBP2), the major transcription factor regulating cholesterol synthetic genes (2). In contrast to fatty acids, which are in equilibrium with the rest of the body, nearly all brain cholesterol is synthesized in the brain because cholesterol-carrying lipoproteins, with the exception of some very dense HDL, cannot readily cross the blood-brain barrier (3-5).When cholesterol is abundant, SREBP2 precursor remains sequestered in the endoplasmic reticulum by SREBP cleavage activating protein (SCAP). As cholesterol is needed, SCAP shuttles SREBP2 to the Golgi for cleavage into a transcriptionally active form that translocates to the nucleus, binds to sterol regulatory elements in DNA, and activates transcription of enzymes of cholesterol synthesis (2). Insulin can regulate SREBP2 expression and activity, in part via two insulin-induced regulatory proteins, Insig1 and Insig2 (6, 7). Furthermore, in insulindeficient diabetes, there is a decrease in SREBP2 and SCAP in the brain leading to decreased brain cholesterol synthesis (8). We have previously shown that both neurons and glial cells express SREBP2 and the enzymes of cholesterol synthesis, and in both cell types expression of the cholesterol synthesis pathway is stimulated by insulin (7).Among the subtypes of glia, astrocytes serve the most diverse roles, providing both structural support to neurons and playing a major role in maintaining the blood-brain barrier. In addition, astrocytes provide a variety of metabolic functions, including storage of glycogen and uptake of ions and neurotransmitters from the synaptic cleft (9, 10).Astrocytes/glial cells have also been suggested to play an important role in brain cholesterol metabolism. When neuronallike retinal ganglion cells are grown in culture and expose...

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“…The dimensions and design of the Stone T-maze were as detailed in Pistell and Ingram [10]. Overall, the maze had black acrylic sides and a clear acrylic ceiling.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Motor and memory testing of long-lived pregnancy-associated plasma protein—A knock-out mice

Mason

Grell

West

et al. 2014

Growth Hormone & IGF Research

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Mice deficient in pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A), an IGF binding protein protease, have been shown to be resistant to experimentally-induced atherosclerosis and diabetic nephropathy, and, in the laboratory environment, live 30–40% longer than wild-type littermates in association with delayed incidence and occurrence of age-related neoplasms and degenerative diseases. OBJECTIVE PAPP-A is highly expressed in the cerebellum and hippocampus of the mouse brain. Therefore, the studies presented here were aimed at determining motor behavior, learning and retention in PAPP-A knock-out (KO) mice compared to wild-type (WT) littermates with age. DESIGN Balance and coordination were assessed using an accelerating rotarod; learning and memory were assessed in a Stone T-maze. RESULTS Time on the rotarod decreased with age but there was no significant difference between PAPP-A KO and WT mice at any of the testing ages. Latency to reach the goal box and number of errors committed in the Stone T-maze did not change with age and there were no significant differences between PAPP-A KO and WT mice. CONCLUSION Lack of PAPP-A in mice did not impact central regulation of coordination, learning or memory.

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Development of a water-escape motivated version of the Stone T-maze for mice

Cited by 20 publications

References 40 publications

Age-associated learning and memory deficits in two mouse versions of the stone T-maze

Age-associated learning and memory deficits in two mouse versions of the stone T-maze

Loss of astrocyte cholesterol synthesis disrupts neuronal function and alters whole-body metabolism

Motor and memory testing of long-lived pregnancy-associated plasma protein—A knock-out mice

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