title: Elevated prostacyclin biosynthesis in mice impacts memory and anxiety-like behavior.
abstract: Prostacyclin is an endogenous lipid metabolite with properties of vasodilation and anti-platelet aggregation. While the effects of prostacyclin on the vascular protection have been well-documented, the role of this eicosanoid in the central nervous system has not been extensively studied. Recently, a transgenic mouse containing a hybrid enzyme, of cyclooxygenase-1 linked to prostacyclin synthase, was developed that produces elevated levels of prostacyclin in vivo. The goal of this study was to investigate whether increased prostacyclin biosynthesis could affect behavioral phenotypes in mice. Our results uncovered that elevated levels of prostacyclin broadly affect both cognitive and non-cognitive behaviors, including decreased anxiety-like behavior and improved learning in the fear-conditioning memory test. This study demonstrates that prostacyclin plays an important, but previously unrecognized, role in central nervous system function and behavior.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA.
authors.forename: Craig
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vollert
authors.forename: Odochi
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ohia
authors.forename: Hironari
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Akasaka
authors.forename: Casey
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Berridge
authors.forename: Ke-He
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Ruan
authors.forename: Jason L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Eriksen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological / Q000502:physiology; D051545:Cyclooxygenase 1 / Q000235:genetics; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / Q000235:genetics; D005239:Fear / Q000502:physiology; D019746:Intramolecular Oxidoreductases / Q000235:genetics; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000502:physiology; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D044062:Prostaglandins I / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D044062:Prostaglandins I; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System; D051545:Cyclooxygenase 1; D019746:Intramolecular Oxidoreductases; C022461:prostacyclin synthetase
keywords: Anxiety; Behavior; Eicosanoid; Memory; Prostacyclin