Seizure induced dentate neurogenesis does not diminish with age in rats.
Neurogenesis in the mammalian dentate gyrus occurs throughout life, is believed to be important for the laying down of episodic memory and diminishes significantly with increasing age. Pathological insults such as seizures, hypoxia and traumatic brain injury increase dentate neurogenesis compared to age matched controls. Using unilateral intracerebroventricular kainate we show that although baseline neurogenesis is significantly lower in 3 month old rats compared to 1 month old rats, kainate increases neurogenesis to reach similar levels in both age groups. Additionally, this effect is bilateral after a unilateral intracerebroventricular kainate injection. We conclude that the potential for dentate neurogenesis is maintained despite diminishing baseline levels with increasing age and that injury signals override the age related suppression of neurogenesis.
Gray
W P
WP
Division of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Southampton, Room 6207, School of Biomedical Sciences, Bassett Crescent East, Southampton SO16 7PX, UK. w.p.gray@soton.ac.uk
May
K
K
Sundström
L E
LE
D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine; D002452:Cell Count; D018891:Dentate Gyrus / Q000378:metabolism*; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007276:Injections, Intraventricular; D007608:Kainic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012640:Seizures / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology*
D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine; D007608:Kainic Acid