Effects of early malnutrition, isolation and seizures on memory and spatial learning in the developing rat

Hemb, Marta; Cammarota, Martı́n; Nunes, Magda Lahorgue

doi:10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2010.03.001

Cited by 21 publications

(36 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…Another study about the effects of malnourishment and seizures on memory and spatial learning in a model of developing brain was carried out by Hemb and colleagues [33]. Malnourished groups were maintained on a starvation regimen from postnatal day 2 (P2) to postnatal day 15 (P15).…”

Section: Animal Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Early Postnatal Protein-Calorie Malnutrition and Cognition: A Review of Human and Animal Studies

Laus

Vales

Costa

et al. 2011

IJERPH

122

101

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Malnutrition continues to be recognized as the most common and serious form of children’s dietary disease in the developing countries and is one of the principal factors affecting brain development. The purpose of this paper is to review human and animal studies relating malnutrition to cognitive development, focusing in correlational and interventional data, and to provide a discussion of possible mechanisms by which malnutrition affects cognition.

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Section: Animal Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Early Postnatal Protein-Calorie Malnutrition and Cognition: A Review of Human and Animal Studies

Laus

Vales

Costa

et al. 2011

IJERPH

122

101

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Agematched control rats remained with their dams (Crnic, 1980;Ladd et al, 1996;Nunes et al, 2000;Hemb et al, 2010;Florian and Nunes, 2010). The deprivation period was increased by 4 h for three consecutives days, from 2 h on P1 to 12 h on P4.…”

Section: Malnutrition Paradigmmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enhanced susceptibility to seizures modulated by high interleukin‐1β levels during early life malnutrition

Simão

Oliveira

Nunes

2016

Developmental Neurobiology

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Early malnutrition in life has permanent consequences on brain development and has been suggested to influence seizure susceptibility. Despite malnutrition is not a direct cause of seizures, we hypothesize that malnutrition may modulate inflammatory response and result in cerebral vulnerability to seizures. In this study, we provide evidence that malnutrition may increase susceptibility to seizures in the postnatal period by interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in the hippocampus. Malnourished rats were maintained on a nutritional deprivation regimen from postnatal day 1 (P1) to P10. From P7 to P10, the threshold to seizures induced by flurothyl was used as an index of seizure susceptibility. ELISA and western blot was performed to evaluate levels of IL-1β, IL-1R1, PSD-95 and synapsin. The role of inflammation in the changes of seizure threshold was studied with inhibitors of IL-1β and IL-1R1. A significant decrease in body weight and seizure threshold was observed in postnatal malnourished rats. Early malnutrition modulates inflammation by high levels of IL-1β in hippocampus and in serum. Furthermore, our malnutrition paradigm induced an increase in corticosterone levels. Injection of IL-1β and IL-1R1 inhibitors before seizure induction augments seizure threshold in malnourished rats similar to nourished group. Malnutrition did not change PSD-95 and synapsin expression in the hippocampus. We suggest that malnutrition-induced inflammation might contribute to seizure susceptibility in the postnatal period. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 76: 1150-1159, 2016.

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“…When seizures appeared consecutively with no normal activities (grades IV–V), this was considered SE and indicated that the model was successfully induced. After SE had been established and pharmacological intervention was completed, spatial orientation and memory tests were conducted using an MWM (28). …”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of pharmacological treatments on hippocampal NCAM1 and ERK2 expression in epileptic rats with cognitive dysfunction

et al. 2016

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The present study aimed to investigate the effects of various pharmacological agents on the hippocampal expression of neural cell adhesion molecule 1 (NCAM1) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 2 (ERK2) in epileptic rats with cognitive dysfunction. The experiments were conducted using 120 Wistar rats: 20 controls and 100 with pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus (SE). The SE rats were randomly assigned to 5 groups (n=20/group) that received daily treatments for 1 month with one of the following: (i) saline (no effect on epilepsy); (ii) carbamazepine (an anticonvulsant); (iii) oxcarbazepine (an anticonvulsant); (iv) aniracetam (a nootropic); or (v) donepezil (an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor). Spatial learning and memory were assessed using a Morris Water Maze (MWM). Hippocampal tissue was assessed for NCAM1 and ERK2 messenger RNA (mRNA) expression by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, and protein expression by immunochemistry. The results revealed that SE rats had significantly poorer MWM performances compared with controls (P<0.01). Performance in SE rats was improved with donepezil treatment (P<0.01), but declined with carbamazepine (P<0.01). Compared with controls, saline-treated SE rats exhibited increased hippocampal NCAM1 mRNA expression (P<0.01). Among SE rats, NCAM1 mRNA expression was highest in those treated with donepezil, followed by aniracetam-, saline-, oxcarbazepine- and carbamazepine-treated rats. Compared to controls, saline-treated SE rats exhibited decreased hippocampal ERK2 mRNA expression (P<0.01). Among SE rats, ERK2 mRNA expression was highest in those treated with donepezil, followed by aniracetam, saline, oxcarbazepine and carbamazepine. NCAM1 and ERK2 protein expression levels were parallel to those of the mRNA. In saline-treated SE rats, hippocampal ERK2 expression was decreased and NCAM1 expression was increased; thus, these two molecules may be involved in the impairment of spatial memory. Carbamazepine augmented this impairment, whereas donepezil was found to ameliorate the dysfunction associated with epilepsy. In conclusion, ERK2 and NCAM1 have significant roles in impairment of spatial memory in SE rats. Carbamazepine may increase this impairment, while donepezil may decrease this impairment.

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Effects of early malnutrition, isolation and seizures on memory and spatial learning in the developing rat

Abstract: Our findings show that undernourishment and seizures have an additive detrimental effect on body and brain weight as well as on spatial memory.

Cited by 21 publications

References 31 publications

Early Postnatal Protein-Calorie Malnutrition and Cognition: A Review of Human and Animal Studies

Early Postnatal Protein-Calorie Malnutrition and Cognition: A Review of Human and Animal Studies

Enhanced susceptibility to seizures modulated by high interleukin‐1β levels during early life malnutrition

Effects of pharmacological treatments on hippocampal NCAM1 and ERK2 expression in epileptic rats with cognitive dysfunction

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