title: Glia protein aquaporin-4 regulates aversive motivation of spatial memory in Morris water maze.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although extensive investigation has revealed that an astrocyte-specific protein aquaporin-4 (AQP4) participates in regulating synaptic plasticity and memory, a functional relationship between AQP4 and learning processing has not been clearly established. This study was designed to test our hypothesis that AQP4 modulates the aversive motivation in Morris water maze (MWM).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Using hidden platform training, we observed that AQP4 KO mice significantly decreased their swimming velocity compared with wild-type (WT) mice. To test for a relationship between velocities and escape motivation, we removed the platform and subjected a new group of mice similar to the session of hidden platform training. We found that KO mice exhibited a gradual reduction in swimming velocity, while WT mice did not alter their velocity. In the subsequent probe trial, KO mice after no platform training significantly decreased their mean velocity compared with those KO mice after hide platform training. However, all of KO mice were not impaired in their ability to locate a visible, cued escape platform.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings, along with a previous report that AQP4 regulates memory consolidation, implicate a novel role for this glial protein in modulating the aversive motivation in spatial learning paradigm.
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neurodegeneration, Department of Pharmacology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Ji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zhong-Guo
authors.initials: ZG
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dang
authors.forename: Jian-Hua
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D051401:Aquaporin 4 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D003463:Cues; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009042:Motivation / Q000235:genetics*; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D013550:Swimming / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: C496031:Aqp4 protein, mouse; D051401:Aquaporin 4
keywords: Aquaporin-4; Astrocyte; Memory; Motivation; Synaptic plasticity