Feeding with powdered diet after weaning increases visuospatial ability in association with increases in the expression of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors in the hippocampus of female rats.
We determined whether feeding with powdered diet improved the visuospatial ability in female rats by checking the expression of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) subunit 1 (NR1) mRNA in the hippocampus. In rats fed standard pelleted diet, males performed better than females in a radial 8-arm maze task as we reported previously. We found that the expression of NR1 mRNA, which may be the key mediator in visuospatial ability in the hippocampus, was also higher in males than in females. However, in rats fed powdered diet, no sex difference was seen in the radial 8-arm maze task and the expression of NR1 mRNA in the hippocampus, since feeding with powdered diet improved the visuospatial ability with increases in the expression of NR1 mRNA in the hippocampus in females. We suggest that the sex difference in visuospatial ability is at least in part due to feeding conditions.
Takase
Kenkichi
K
Department of Neuroendocrinology, Yokohama City University, Graduate School of Medicine, 3-9 Fukuura, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan.
Funabashi
Toshiya
T
Mogi
Kazutaka
K
Mitsushima
Dai
D
Kimura
Fukuko
F
D000818:Animals; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000502:physiology; D011208:Powders; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D012737:Sex Factors; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D014886:Weaning
D011208:Powders; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate