title: Beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) ameliorates age-related deficits in water maze performance, especially in male rats.
abstract: Beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) is commonly supplemented to maintain muscle in elderly and clinical populations and has potential as a nootropic. Previously, we have shown that in both male and female rats, long-term HMB supplementation prevents age-related dendritic shrinkage within the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and improves cognitive flexibility and working memory performance that are both age- and sex-specific. In this study, we further explore the cognitive effects by assessing visuospatial learning and memory with the Morris water maze. Female rats were ovariectomized at 11months of age to model human menopause. At 12months of age, male and female rats received relatively short- or long-term (1- or 7-month) dietary HMB (450mg/kg/dose) supplementation twice a day prior to testing. Spatial reference learning and memory was assessed across four days in the water maze with four trials daily and a probe trial on the last day. Consistent with previous work, there were age-related deficits in water maze performance in both sexes. However, these deficits were ameliorated in HMB-treated males during training and in both sexes during probe trial performance. Thus, HMB supplementation prevented the age-related decrement in water maze performance, especially in male rats.
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA. Electronic address: kougias2@illinois.edu.
authors.forename: Daniel G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Kougias
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA. Electronic address: hankosky@illinois.edu.
authors.forename: Emily R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Hankosky
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA; Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA. Electronic address: jgulley@illinois.edu.
authors.forename: Joshua M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Gulley
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA; Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA. Electronic address: jjuraska@illinois.edu.
authors.forename: Janice M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Juraska
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D018697:Nootropic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010052:Ovariectomy; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D065853:Spatial Learning / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D014631:Valerates / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D018697:Nootropic Agents; D014631:Valerates; C004961:beta-hydroxyisovaleric acid
keywords: Aging; HMB; Sex difference; Spatial learning; Spatial memory; Water maze