title: Rosiglitazone improves contextual fear conditioning in aged rats.
abstract: Experimental, clinical, and epidemiologic studies indicate that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are beneficial in Alzheimer's disease and other neuroinflammatory processes. One possible mechanism is an interaction with peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs). We examined the effect of a specific PPARgamma agonist, rosiglitazone, on contextual fear conditioning in aged rats. Male rats (20-months-old) were administered rosiglitazone in the diet for 2 months prior to behavioral testing. Young control and aged rats fed rosiglitazone froze significantly more than did the aged control rats in a hippocampal-dependent fear conditioning task. Rosiglitazone had no effect hippocampal interleukin-1beta levels, markers of oxidative damage, and NMDA receptor expression. Therefore, activation of PPARgamma prevented age-related deficits in hippocampal function.
authors.affiliation: James A. Haley VA Hospital, 13000 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Tampa, FL, 33612, USA.
authors.forename: Carmelina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gemma
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Stellwagen
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fister
authors.forename: Steven J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Coultrap
authors.forename: Michael H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Mesches
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Browning
authors.forename: Paula C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Bickford
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D000818:Animals; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D005239:Fear / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D000077154:Rosiglitazone; D045162:Thiazolidinediones / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D045162:Thiazolidinediones; D000077154:Rosiglitazone