Spatial memory testing decreases hippocampal amyloid precursor protein in young, but not aged, female rats.
Using young and aged rats, we investigated relationships between amyloid precursor protein (APP) and working or reference memory, as well as assessed whether cognitive testing altered APP levels. In young rats, higher APP levels were related to more working memory errors as a linear function. Aged rats exhibited a curvilinear relationship between APP and working memory, with moderate APP levels associated with better relative performance. A comparison of rats that received cognitive testing with those that did not showed that testing decreased APP levels in young, but not aged, rats. Collectively, the data suggest that young and aged rats exhibit different relationships between APP and working memory, and that aged rats do not maintain the capacity to decrease APP in response to cognitive testing.
Department of Physiology and Neuroscience and the Center for Studies on Aging, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue, Charleston, SC 29425, USA.
Heather A
HA
Bimonte
Ann-Charlotte E
AC
Granholm
Hyemyung
H
Seo
Ole
O
Isacson
D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D000818:Animals; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D004780:Environment, Controlled; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology
D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor