Environmental enrichment restores cognitive deficits induced by prenatal maternal seizure

Xie, Ting; Wang, Weiping; Jia, Lijing; Mao, Zhuo-feng; Qu, Zhenzhen; Luan, Shao-qun; Kan, Min-chen

doi:10.1016/j.brainres.2012.06.034

Cited by 19 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 29 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…It has been reported that EE modified the PKA-dependence of hippocampal long-term potentiation and improved hippocampus-dependent memory (41). By contrast, the provision of EE for 30 days in the early postnatal period did not alter immunoreactivity to PKA in the hippocampus (42). In the present study, no significant alterations in PKA C-α protein expression levels were observed, suggesting that the pCREB protein expression level increase following EE may be due to signaling pathways that do not involve PKA.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Increased protein expression levels of pCREB, BDNF and SDF-1/CXCR4 in the hippocampus may be associated with enhanced neurogenesis induced by environmental enrichment

Zhang

Wang

et al. 2016

Molecular Medicine Reports

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Brain plasticity is very sensitive to the environment. Certain neurotrophic factors and neurotransmitter receptors, including brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element‑binding protein (CREB), stromal cell‑derived factor‑1 (SDF‑1) and its specific receptor, C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4), are important in neurogenesis in adult animals. In the present study, the effects of environmental enrichment (EE) on neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus (DG) and subventricular zone (SVZ), and the protein expression levels of BDNF, CREB, SDF‑1 and CXCR4 were investigated. Adult rats were randomly assigned as controls or underwent EE for 30 days. Subsequently, immunofluorescence staining was used to analyze cell proliferation in the DG and SVZ, and the differentiation and survival of newly‑formed cells in the hippocampus. The protein expression levels of BDNF, phosphorylated CREB (pCREB), protein kinase A catalytic subunit α, SDF‑1 and CXCR4 in the hippocampus were assayed by western blotting. Cognitive function was assessed in a Morris water maze. EE improved cognitive function, and increased the proliferation, differentiation and survival of newly‑formed neurons in the DG of adult rats; however, EE did not activate neurogenesis in the SVZ. Furthermore, EE enhanced the protein expression levels of BDNF, pCREB, SDF-1 and CXCR4 in the hippocampus. These results provide a theoretical basis to explain the beneficial effects of EE on healthy, adult rats.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Increased protein expression levels of pCREB, BDNF and SDF-1/CXCR4 in the hippocampus may be associated with enhanced neurogenesis induced by environmental enrichment

Zhang

Wang

et al. 2016

Molecular Medicine Reports

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Fifteen rats (n=3/group) were deeply anesthetized and processed for electron microscopy according to the method described in the study by Xie et al (32). Mitochondrial ultrastructure in the CA1 subfield was imaged (×40,000) using a transmission electron microscope (JEM-1230; Jeol Ltd., Tokyo, Japan) from 5 micrographs per rat.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of grape seed proanthocyanidin extract on pentylenetetrazole-induced kindling and associated cognitive impairment in rats

Zhen

Fang

et al. 2014

International Journal of Molecular Medicine

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Numerous studies have demonstrated the antioxidant effects of grape seed proanthocyanidin extract (GSPE). The generation of free radicals and the ensuing apoptosis may contribute to the pathogenesis of epilepsy; therefore, in the present study, we examined the effects of GSPE on cognitive impairment and neuronal damage induced by chronic seizures in rats. Seizures were induced by a daily intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of pentylenetetrazole (PTZ; 35 mg/kg/day, 36 days). Two other groups were treated with GSPE (100 or 200 mg/kg/day, orally) for 24 days and then for 36 days prior to each PTZ injection. After the final PTZ injection, hippocampus-dependent spatial learning was assessed using the Morris water maze (MWM). The rats were then sacrificed for the measurement of hippocampal malondialdehyde (MDA, a measure of lipid peroxidation) and glutathione (GSH, a measure of endogenous antioxidant capacity) levels, and for the expression of pro-apoptotic factors [cytochrome c (Cyt c), caspase-9 and caspase-3]. The mitochondrial generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), degree of mitochondrial swelling, neuronal damage and mitochondrial ultrastructure were also examined. Performance in the MWM was markedly impaired by PTZ-induced seizures, as evidenced by longer escape latencies during training and fewer platform crossings during the probe trial. This cognitive decline was accompanied by oxidative stress (MDA accumulation, ROS generation, reduced GSH activity), an increased expression of pro-apoptotic proteins, as well as damage to CA1 pyramidal neurons and the mitochondria. Pre-treatment with GSPE dose-dependently reversed PTZ-induced impaired performance in the MWM, oxidative stress, mitochondrial ROS generation, the expression of pro-apoptotic proteins and neuronal and mitochondrial damage. Thus, GSPE may reverse the hippocampal dysfunction induced by chronic seizures, by reducing oxidative stress and preserving mitochondrial function.

show abstract

“…There, males showed lower levels of sociality (measured as approaching stimuli kids in an unfamiliar arena) but there was no difference between males and females in the number of vocalizations or escape attempts made in a social isolation situation. Fourth, cognitive impairment caused by prenatal stress can be reversed by early postnatal environment, e.g., by secure attachment between infant and mother in humans (76), better mothering skills in rodents (97), or environmental enrichment in rats (98, 99). It may be that even though males and females were exposed to a similar amount of prenatal stress and similar postnatal environments, the prenatal stress had different effect on cognitive skills in females than in males.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Search Behavior in Goat (Capra hircus) Kids From Mothers Kept at Different Animal Densities Throughout Pregnancy

2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Individual differences in cognitive performance are often reported but factors related to variation within species are rarely addressed. Goats (Capra hircus) have been subjects of many cognitive studies recently but without focus on individual variation. Among others, factors such as prenatal stress and sex of the individual have been proposed as possible explanations for individual variation in cognitive skills. We aimed to study whether prenatal environment, prenatal stress, litter size, sex, and birth weight influences search behavior skills of goat kids. Pregnant Norwegian dairy goats were exposed to different spatial allowance (namely 1.0, 2.0, or 3.0 m 2 per animal) within the commercially applied range during pregnancy and their serum cortisol levels were measured six times within this period. Twenty-six of the kids born entered a three-stage searching task with increasing difficulty when they were 6 weeks old. The tasks included finding a bucket of milk: while moving (stage 1), after moving and disappearing behind a curtain (stage 2), and moving behind a displacement device and the device moving behind a curtain while hiding the bucket (stage 3). We found that prenatal animal density had no effect on the search skills of the offspring, while kids with higher prenatal maternal cortisol levels performed better at the highest stage tested: finding an object after single invisible displacement. At this stage, singleton kids and males performed better than twins and females. Birth weight had no effect at this stage. The findings suggest that maternal cortisol in the observed range had a facilitating effect on cognitive development of goat kids.

show abstract

Environmental enrichment restores cognitive deficits induced by prenatal maternal seizure

Cited by 19 publications

References 29 publications

Increased protein expression levels of pCREB, BDNF and SDF-1/CXCR4 in the hippocampus may be associated with enhanced neurogenesis induced by environmental enrichment

Increased protein expression levels of pCREB, BDNF and SDF-1/CXCR4 in the hippocampus may be associated with enhanced neurogenesis induced by environmental enrichment

Effects of grape seed proanthocyanidin extract on pentylenetetrazole-induced kindling and associated cognitive impairment in rats

Search Behavior in Goat (Capra hircus) Kids From Mothers Kept at Different Animal Densities Throughout Pregnancy

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About