title: Folic acid prevents behavioral impairment and Na(+), K(+) -ATPase inhibition caused by neonatal hypoxia-ischemia.
abstract: Folic acid plays an important role in neuroplasticity and acts as a neuroprotective agent, as observed in experimental brain ischemia studies. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of folic acid on locomotor activity, aversive memory and Na(+),K(+)-ATPase activity in the frontal cortex and striatum in animals subjected to neonatal hypoxia-ischemia (HI). Wistar rats of both sexes at postnatal day 7 underwent HI procedure and were treated with intraperitoneal injections of folic acid (0.011 μmol/g body weight) once a day, until the 30th postnatal day. Starting on the day after, behavioral assessment was run in the open field and in the inhibitory avoidance task. Animals were sacrificed by decapitation 24 h after testing and striatum and frontal cortex were dissected out for Na(+),K(+)-ATPase activity analysis. Results show anxiogenic effect in the open field and an impairment of aversive memory in the inhibitory avoidance test in HI rats; folic acid treatment prevented both behavioral effects. A decreased Na(+),K(+)-ATPase activity in striatum, both ipsilateral and contralateral to ischemia, was identified after HI; a total recovery was observed in animals treated with folic acid. A partial recovery of Na(+),K(+)-ATPase activity was yet seen in frontal cortex of HI animals receiving folic acid supplementation. Presented results support that folic acid treatment prevents memory deficit and anxiety-like behavior, as well as prevents Na(+),K(+)-ATPase inhibition in the striatum and frontal cortex caused by neonatal hypoxia-ischemia.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciência Morfológicas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Sarmento Leite, 500, Porto Alegre, RS 90050-170, Brazil.
authors.forename: Jaqueline Vieira
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Carletti
authors.forename: Bruna Ferrary
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Deniz
authors.forename: Patrícia Maidana
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Miguel
authors.forename: Joseane Jiménez
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Rojas
authors.forename: Janaína
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kolling
authors.forename: Emilene Barros
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Scherer
authors.forename: Angela Teresinha
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: de Souza Wyse
authors.forename: Carlos Alexandre
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Netto
authors.forename: Lenir Orlandi
authors.initials: LO
authors.lastname: Pereira
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001007:Anxiety / Q000188:drug therapy; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000187:drug effects; D020925:Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005492:Folic Acid; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase