[Relationship between learning and memory ability and expression of hippocampal N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) in burn rats with depression].
OBJECTIVE
To observe changes of learning and memory ability (LMA) in burn rats with depression, and study the relationship between LMA and expression of hippocampal NMDA.


METHODS
According to simple random method, 46 Wistar rats were divided into burn group (B, with 30% TBSA deep partial-thickness burn, n = 10), depression group (D, with moderate stress stimulation in chronic and unpredictable, n = 12), B + D group (with the same stress stimulation inflicted to B group after burn, n = 12), healthy control group ( HC, without treatment, n = 12). Changes in escape latency was examined in water maze test. Expression of hippocampal NMDA in CA1, CA2 regions and dentate gyrus were observed with immunohistochemistry.


RESULTS
Compared with that of HC group (22 +/- 20 s), water maze escape latency in B, D, B + D groups on 2 day after training prolonged (38 +/- 31, 41 +/- 36, 42 +/- 33 s, respectively, P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Water maze escape latency in B + D group on 4th day after training was longer than that of other groups (P < 0.01). There was no obvious difference in positive expression of NMDA in CA1, CA2 regions among groups (P > 0.05). The positive count of NMDA in dentate gyrus in D group (198 +/- 14) and B + D group (191 +/- 6) were lower than that of HC group (224 +/- 23, P < 0.05 or P < 0.01), but there was no obvious difference between HC group and B group (219 +/- 25, P > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Burn complicated with depression can reduce LMA, which may be due to a decrease in NMDA in dentate gyrus.
He
Mei
M
Institute of Burn Research, Southwest Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, the Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China.
Qin
Xia
X
Yang
Guo-yu
GY
Feng
Zheng-zhi
ZZ
Yang
Zong-cheng
ZC
D000818:Animals; D002056:Burns / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism*; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000502:physiology; D008568:Memory; D016202:N-Methylaspartate / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D016202:N-Methylaspartate