title: Correlations between cognitive impairment and brain‑derived neurotrophic             factor expression in the hippocampus of post-stroke depression rats.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between brain-derived             neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression and cognitive impairment in post‑stroke             depression (PSD) rats and to explore the mechanism(s) involved in the process             of cognitive impairment. A rat model of focal cerebral ischemia was established             by occluding the middle cerebral artery (MCA). Rats were subjected to isolation-housing             combined with chronic unexpected mild stress (CUMS) to establish a PSD rat model.             The learning and memory abilities of the PSD rat model were evaluated by passive             avoidance tests. Real‑time PCR and immunohistochemical methods were used to detect             changes in BDNF mRNA and protein expression in the hippocampus. Passive avoidance             defects were revealed in the PSD and depression groups. Passive avoidance defects             were more evident in the PSD group compared with the depression group and the             difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). BDNF expression in the hippocampus             was significantly lower in the PSD and depression groups compared with that in             the normal control group (P<0.01). No significant difference in BDNF expression             was identified between the normal control and stroke groups (P>0.05) or between             the PSD and the depression groups (P>0.05). The decrease in BDNF expression             in the hippocampus of PSD rats may aggravate cognitive impairment, however, the             degree of cognitive impairment cannot be reflected by the expression levels of             BDNF in the hippocampus.
authors: The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Henan Key Laboratory of Biological Psychiatry, Xinxiang, PR China.
authors: Zhao-Hui
authors: ZH
authors: Zhang
authors: Li-Na
authors: LN
authors: Wu
authors: Jing-Gui
authors: JG
authors: Song
authors: Wen-Qiang
authors: WQ
authors: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D001835:Body Weight; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020521:Stroke / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor