Extensive enriched environments protect old rats from the aging dependent impairment of spatial cognition, synaptic plasticity and nitric oxide production

Lores‐Arnaiz, Silvia; Bustamante, Juanita; Arismendi, Mariana; Vilas, Sinkar P.; Paglia, Nora; Basso, Nidia; Capani, Francisco; Coirini, Héctor; Costa, Juan José López; Arnaiz, M.R. Lores

doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2006.01.016

Cited by 45 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 56 publications

(74 reference statements)

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“…In rodents, early post-natal EE reduces emotional reactivity [1] and enhances hippocampal-dependent learning in adults [2]. EE protects against age dependent cognitive decline [3], [4]. It additionally reduces lesion size and behavioral deficits post-stroke in young and aged rats [5], [6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Short-Term Enrichment Makes Male Rats More Attractive, More Defensive and Alters Hypothalamic Neurons

Mitra

Sapolsky

2012

PLoS ONE

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Innate behaviors are shaped by contingencies built during evolutionary history. On the other hand, environmental stimuli play a significant role in shaping behavior. In particular, a short period of environmental enrichment can enhance cognitive behavior, modify effects of stress on learned behaviors and induce brain plasticity. It is unclear if modulation by environment can extend to innate behaviors which are preserved by intense selection pressure. In the present report we investigate this issue by studying effects of relatively short (14-days) environmental enrichment on two prominent innate behaviors in rats, avoidance of predator odors and ability of males to attract mates. We show that enrichment has strong effects on both the innate behaviors: a) enriched males were more avoidant of a predator odor than non-enriched controls, and had a greater rise in corticosterone levels in response to the odor; and b) had higher testosterone levels and were more attractive to females. Additionally, we demonstrate decrease in dendritic length of neurons of ventrolateral nucleus of hypothalamus, important for reproductive mate-choice and increase in the same in dorsomedial nucleus, important for defensive behavior. Thus, behavioral and hormonal observations provide evidence that a short period of environmental manipulation can alter innate behaviors, providing a good example of gene-environment interaction.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Short-Term Enrichment Makes Male Rats More Attractive, More Defensive and Alters Hypothalamic Neurons

Mitra

Sapolsky

2012

PLoS ONE

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“…Since rats were allocated randomly to environments, the survival rate of 85% for the enriched rats is striking. Only one previous experiment (Lorez-Arnaiz, Bustamante, et al, 2006), in which rats were kept in an enriched environment for their whole lives, has reported such an effect of enrichment on survival. In our experiment the differential death rates emerged over the far shorter exposure of 70 days of differential housing and the following 6-8 weeks of behavioral testing.…”

Section: Stress and Death Ratesmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…On the other hand experiments employing specialized spatial enrichment (usually re-arrangeable systems of tunnels), and/or extensive (long term) enrichment have produced enhanced learning in older mice and rats (e.g., Bennett, MacRae, Levy, & Frick 2006;Frick & Fernandez, 2003;Lorez-Arnaiz, Bustamante, et al, 2006;. Other than emphasizing the spatial dimension, none of this research has employed a specific paradigm of hippocampal function to justify the enrichment procedure used.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…However such stress may have some positive effects, and enhance hippocampal activity (Pederson & HoffmanGoetz, 2000;Rasmuson, et al, 1998). The finding that life-long enrichment results in a lower death rate than isolated housing also suggests a positive effect (LorezArnaiz, Bustamante, et al, 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…Furthermore, Winocour (1998) found that an isolated/impoverished condition caused learning impairment in old rats compared to an isolated only condition. Most of the studies on enrichment and aging in rats have compared only enriched and isolated/ impoverished conditions (e.g., Lorez-Arnaiz, Bustamante, et al, 2006;Mohammed, et al, 1993;Segovia et al, 2008). None have included all three.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

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Environmental enrichment influences survival rate and enhances exploration and learning but produces variable responses to the radial maze in old rats

Bell

Livesey

Meyer

2009

Developmental Psychobiology

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Wistar rats at 7 (mature), 16 (aging), and 22 (old) months of age spent 70 days in normal laboratory (Social), impoverished (Isolated) or dynamic Enrichment cages. The Enriched cage emphasized spatial re-arrangements of significant items, and the learning of new routes. Subsequently, Enriched rats at all ages entered a novel environment and escaped from a bright light with significantly shorter latencies than rats from either of the other environments. Mature, aging and some of the old Enriched rats also significantly outperformed their Isolated and Social counterparts in the radial maze. However old Enriched and Isolated animals showed significant variability in relation to the measure of the proportion reaching criterion on this task, and a significantly lower proportion than of old Social rats reached criterion. Enriched rats had a significantly higher survival rate than Social and Isolated animals. These findings are discussed in terms of learning efficiency and behaviors that conserve energy and thereby enhance survival.

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Enriched Environment and White Matter in Aging Brain

Yang

Lü

Zhou

et al. 2012

The Anatomical Record

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Normal aging is commonly associated with decreased cognitive functions, which could be conspicuously alleviated by enriched environment (EE) with physical, social, and sensory stimuli, suggesting that aging brain still has intriguing plasticity. Multiple researches have been carried out to explore the structural and the molecular changes in aging brain, which would be considered for evidences that EE regulated brain plasticity. Because there is no significant neuron loss in aging cerebral cortex and the white matter is crucial for cognitive functions, this review focused on the age-related white matter changes and the effects of EE on aged white matter. Data from our stereology laboratory revealed that age-related spatial memory declines had more to do with white matter alterations, which were due to marked demyelination and loss of oligodendrocytes in the white matter. We also demonstrated that EE recovered spatial memory impairment and increased white matter volume by promoting marked remyelination in aged brain. This review approached the issue that EE might contribute to normal aging and be beneficial for those suffering from demyelinated diseases.

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Extensive enriched environments protect old rats from the aging dependent impairment of spatial cognition, synaptic plasticity and nitric oxide production

Cited by 45 publications

References 56 publications

Short-Term Enrichment Makes Male Rats More Attractive, More Defensive and Alters Hypothalamic Neurons

Short-Term Enrichment Makes Male Rats More Attractive, More Defensive and Alters Hypothalamic Neurons

Environmental enrichment influences survival rate and enhances exploration and learning but produces variable responses to the radial maze in old rats

Enriched Environment and White Matter in Aging Brain

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