Prenatal choline supplementation increases NGF levels in the hippocampus and frontal cortex of young and adult rats.
Female Sprague-Dawley rats received approximately 300 mg/kg per day of choline chloride through their drinking water on days 11 of pregnancy through birth and the level of nerve growth factor (NGF) in the hippocampus and frontal cortex of their male offspring was measured at 20 and 90 days of age. Prenatal choline supplementation caused significant increases in hippocampal NGF levels at 20 and 90 days of age, while levels of NGF in the frontal cortex were elevated in choline-supplemented rats at 20 days of age, but not 90 days of age. These results suggest that increases in NGF levels during development or adulthood may be one mechanism underlying improvements in spatial and temporal memory of adult rats exposed to elevated levels of choline chloride perinatally.
Sandstrom
Noah J
NJ
Bronfman Science Center, Department of Psychology, Williams College, 18 Hoxsey Street, Williamstown, MA 01267, USA. noah.sandstrom@williams.edu
Loy
Rebekah
R
Williams
Christina L
CL
D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D048429:Cell Size / Q000187:drug effects; D002794:Choline / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D018697:Nootropic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D018697:Nootropic Agents; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor; D002794:Choline