title: Reversion of age-related recognition memory impairment by iron chelation in rats.
abstract: It is now generally accepted that iron accumulates in the brain during the ageing process. Increasing evidence demonstrate that iron accumulation in selective regions of the brain may generate free radicals, thereby possessing implications for the etiology of neurodegenerative disorders. In a previous study we have reported that aged rats present recognition memory deficits. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of desferoxamine (DFO), an iron chelator agent, on age-induced memory impairment. Aged Wistar rats received intraperitoneal injections of saline or DFO (300mg/kg) for 2 weeks. The animals were submitted to a novel object recognition task 24h after the last injection. DFO-treated rats showed normal recognition memory while the saline group showed long-term recognition memory deficits. The results show that DFO is able to reverse age-induced recognition memory deficits. We also demonstrated that DFO reduced the oxidative damage to proteins in cortex and hippocampus. Thus, the present findings provide the first evidence that iron chelators might prevent age-related memory dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: Neurobiology and Developmental Biology Laboratory, Faculty of Biosciences, Pontifical Catholic University, 90619-900 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Noêmia Martins
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: de Lima
authors.forename: Caroline Pietá
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Dias
authors.forename: Juliana Presti
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Torres
authors.forename: Arethuza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dornelles
authors.forename: Vanessa Athaíde
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.forename: Felipe Siciliani
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Scalco
authors.forename: Marcelo Rewsaat
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Guimarães
authors.forename: Roberta Cristina
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Petry
authors.forename: Elke
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bromberg
authors.forename: Larissa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Constantino
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Budni
authors.forename: Felipe
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dal-Pizzol
authors.forename: Nadja
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Schröder
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000187:drug effects*; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003676:Deferoxamine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000187:drug effects*; D017262:Siderophores / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D017262:Siderophores; D007501:Iron; D003676:Deferoxamine