Osong Public Health Res Perspect.  2017 Jun;8(3):227-234. 10.24171/j.phrp.2017.8.3.10.

Hippocampus-dependent Task Improves the Cognitive Function after Ovariectomy in Rats

• Cheon S

• KMID: 2394478
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.24171/j.phrp.2017.8.3.10

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
Estrogen is an important hormone for cell growth, development, and differentiation by transcriptional regulation and modulation of intracellular signaling via second messengers. The reduction in the estrogen level after ovariectomy may lead to cognitive impairments associated with morphological changes in areas of the brain mediate memory. The aim of the present study was to find out the effect of tasks on the cognitive function after ovariectomy in rats.
METHODS
The animals used in the experiment were 50 Sprague-Dawley female rats. This study applied a hippocampus-independent task (wheel running) and a hippocampus-dependent task (Morris water maze) after ovariectomy in rats and measured the cognitive performance (object-recognition and object-location test) and growth-associated protein 43 (GAP-43) and neurotrophin 3 (NT-3) expression in the hippocampus, which is an important center for memory and learning.
RESULTS
There were meaningful differences between the hippocampus-independent and hippocampus-dependent task groups for the object-location test and GAP-43 and NT-3 expression in the hippocampus, but not the object-recognition test. However, the hippocampus-independent task group showed a significant improvement in the object-recognition test, compared to the control group.
CONCLUSION
These results suggest that hippocampus-dependent task training after ovariectomy enhances the hippocampus-related memory and cognitive function that are associated with morphological and functional changes in the cells of the hippocampus.

Keyword

estrogens; hippocampus; cognition; growth-associated protein 43; neurotrophin 3

MeSH Terms

Animals
Brain
Cognition Disorders
Cognition*
Estrogens
Female
GAP-43 Protein
Hippocampus
Humans
Learning
Memory
Neurotrophin 3
Ovariectomy*
Rats*
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Second Messenger Systems
Water
Estrogens
GAP-43 Protein
Neurotrophin 3
Water