Effects of Estrogen Therapy on Cognitive Performance Deficit Induced by Nucleus Basalis Magnocellularis Lesion: Animal Model of Alzheimer’s Disease

Document Type : Original Article (s)

Authors

1 PhD Student, Department of Biology, School of Sciences, Shahid Chamran University, Ahwaz, Iran

2 Professor, Department of Biology, School of Sciences, Shahid Chamran University, Ahwaz, Iran

3 Professor, Neuroscience Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

4 Associate Professor, Department of Biology, School of sciences, Shahid Chamran University, Ahwaz, Iran

5 Assistant Professor, Department of Statistics, School of Mathematical Science and Computer, Shahid Chamran University, Ahwaz, Iran

Abstract

Background: Cognitive performance appears to diminish with age and passing of time, probably due to the basal forebrain cholinergic dysfunction. Given the physiological significance of the acute effect of estrogen, this study was conducted aiming to investigate the effect of 17β-estradiol treatment on cognitive performance in nucleus basalis magnocellularis (NBM) induced lesions.Methods: In this experimental study, 40 adult male Wistar rats were divided into five different groups (8 rat in each group): Control (intact), NBM lesion group, which received electrically-induced lesion (0.5 mA, 3s) in NBM, Sham group (the electrode was impaled into the NBM with no lesion), Estrogen group (lesion+45μg/kg 17β-estradiol) and Vehicle group (NBM lesion+200μl sesame oil). Acquisition and retention testing was done using an eight-radial arm maze, in which, the patterns of arm entries in each group was recorded for calculating correct choices, working memory errors, reference memory errors and latency.Findings: Bilateral NBM lesion showed the reduction of spatial memory acquisition in the form of increased working and reference memory errors (P < 0.001). It further reduced these functions in retention testing (P < 0.001) compared to the control group. Post-lesion treatment with 45 μg/kg estrogen improved the parameters of spatial memory errors in the acquisition and retention tasks comparing to the Sham group (P > 0.05).Conclusion: Electrical NBM lesion can reduce spatial memory function. Estrogen therapy after brain injury improved cognitive disorder.

Keywords

References

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Journal of Isfahan Medical School
Volume 34, Issue 370 - Serial Number 370
January and February 2016
Pages 64-73

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History

  • Receive Date: 01 November 2015
  • Revise Date: 01 November 2024
  • Accept Date: 06 April 2022

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