Acute homocysteine administration impairs memory consolidation on inhibitory avoidance task and decreases hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor immunocontent: prevention by folic acid treatment.
In the present study, we first investigated the effect of single homocysteine administration on consolidation of short- and long-term memories of inhibitory avoidance task in Wistar rats. We also measured brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels in the hippocampus and parietal cortex of rats. The influence of pretreatment with folic acid on behavioral and biochemical effects elicited by homocysteine was also studied. Wistar rats were subjected to a folic acid or saline pretreatment from their 22(nd) to 28(th) day of life; 12 h later they were submitted to a single administration of homocysteine or saline. For motor activity and memory evaluation we performed open-field and inhibitory avoidance tasks. Hippocampus and parietal cortex were obtained for brain-derived neurotrophic factor immunocontent determination. Results showed that homocysteine impaired short- and long-term memories and reduced brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels in the hippocampus. Pretreatment with folic acid prevented both the memory deficit and the reduction in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor immunocontent induced by homocysteine injection. Further studies are required to determine the entire mechanism by which folic acid acts and its potential therapeutic use for memory impairment prevention in homocystinuric patients.
Matté
C
C
Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Ramiro Barcelos 2600-Anexo, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Pereira
L O
LO
Dos Santos
T M
TM
Mackedanz
V
V
Cunha
A A
AA
Netto
C A
CA
Wyse
A T S
AT
D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000502:physiology*; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000378:metabolism*; D020138:Hyperhomocysteinemia / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000502:physiology; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013997:Time Factors; D014803:Vitamin B Complex / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use
D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D006710:Homocysteine; D014803:Vitamin B Complex; D005492:Folic Acid