title: Environmental enrichment reduces brain damage in hydrocephalic immature rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We investigate the effects of environmental enrichment (EE) on morphological alterations in different brain structures of pup rats submitted to hydrocephalus condition.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hydrocephalus was induced in 7-day-old pup rats by injection of 20% kaolin into the cisterna magna. Ventricular dilatation and magnetization transfer to analyze myelin were assessed by magnetic resonance. Hydrocephalic and control rats exposed to EE (n = 10 per group) were housed in cages with a tunnel, ramp, and colored plastic balls that would emit sound when touched. The walls of the housing were decorated with colored adhesive tape. Moreover, tactile and auditory stimulation was performed daily throughout the experiment. Hydrocephalic and control rats not exposed to EE (n = 10 per group) were allocated singly in standard cages. All animals were weighed daily and exposed to open-field conditions every 2 days until the end of the experiment when they were sacrificed and the brains removed for histology and immunohistochemistry. Solochrome cyanine staining was performed to assess the thickness of the corpus callosum. The glial fibrillary acidic protein method was used to evaluate reactive astrocytes, and the Ki67 method to assess cellular proliferation in the subventricular zone.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The hydrocephalic animals exposed to EE showed better performance in Open Field tests (p < 0.05), while presenting lower weight gain. In addition, these animals showed better myelination as revealed by magnetization transfer (p < 0.05). Finally, the EE group showed a reduction in reactive astrocytes by means of glial fibrillary acidic protein immunostaining and preservation of the proliferation potential of progenitor cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that EE can protect the developing brain against damaging effects caused by hydrocephalus.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neurociências e Ciências do Comportamento, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carlos Henrique Rocha
authors.initials: CHR
authors.lastname: Catalão
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Cirurgia e Anatomia, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, 3900 Bandeirantes Avenue, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14049-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Glaucia Yuri
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Cirurgia e Anatomia, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, 3900 Bandeirantes Avenue, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14049-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Jacqueline Atsuko
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Tida
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Cirurgia e Anatomia, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, 3900 Bandeirantes Avenue, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14049-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Camila Araújo Bernardino
authors.initials: CAB
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Clínica Médica, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.
authors.forename: Antonio Carlos
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Dos Santos
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Física, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carlos Ernesto Garrido
authors.initials: CEG
authors.lastname: Salmon
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Morfologia, Estomatologia e Fisiologia da Faculdade de Odontologia de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria José Alves
authors.initials: MJA
authors.lastname: Rocha
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Cirurgia e Anatomia, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, 3900 Bandeirantes Avenue, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14049-900, Brazil. luslopes@fmrp.usp.br.
authors.forename: Luiza
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: da Silva Lopes
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004777:Environment; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D006849:Hydrocephalus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
keywords: Behavior; Cellular proliferation; Magnetization transfer ratio; Myelin; Reactive astrogliosis; Ventricular dilatation