Growth hormone prevents neuronal loss in the aged rat hippocampus.
Decline of growth hormone (GH) with aging is associated to memory and cognitive alterations. In this study, the number of neurons in the hilus of the dentate gyrus has been assessed in male and female Wistar rats at 3, 6, 12, 14, 18, 22 and 24 months of age, using the optical fractionator method. Male rats had more neurons than females at all the ages studied. Significant neuronal loss was observed in both sexes between 22 and 24 months of age. In a second experiment, 22 month-old male and female rats were treated for 10 weeks with 2 mg/kg/day of GH or saline. At 24 months of age, animals treated with GH had more neurons in the hilus than animals treated with saline. These findings indicate that GH is neuroprotective in old animals and that its administration may ameliorate neuronal alterations associated to aging.
Azcoitia
Iñigo
I
Departamento de Biología Celular, Facultad de Biología, Universidad Complutense, E-28040 Madrid, Spain. azcoitia@bio.ucm.es
Perez-Martin
Margarita
M
Salazar
Veronica
V
Castillo
Carmen
C
Ariznavarreta
Carmen
C
Garcia-Segura
Luis M
LM
Tresguerres
Jesus A F
JA
D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D002452:Cell Count; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011920:Rats, Inbred WF; D012737:Sex Factors; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000379:methods
D013006:Growth Hormone; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase