Influence of spatial learning on the temporal patterns of protein expression of BMAL1, CLOCK, PER1 and CREB in the hippocampus of aged rats

• Grant number: 11/08035-2
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): August 01, 2011
• Effective date (End): April 30, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Psychology - Physiological Psychology
• Principal researcher: Gilberto Fernando Xavier
• Grantee: Aline Vilar Machado Nils
• Home Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

During the process of healthy aging is a gradual decline of cognitive processes, which could worsen in pathological conditions, including disorders of biological rhythms. Occur mutual influences between the circadian timing system and memory processes. Daily oscillations via cAMP / MAPK / CREB and NMDA receptor in the hippocampus seem necessary for learning and memory consolidation. However, changes occur in older animals deep in the circadian oscillation of protein in the hippocampus, which may be involved in these processes. Per1, CREB, CLOCK and BMAL1 proteins are involved in regulatory mechanisms of biological rhythms and processes of memory consolidation. Moreover, BMAL1 is involved in regulating the aging process by regulating the homeostasis of oxidizing agents in the central nervous system. This study aims to evaluate the influence of spatial learning on the temporal patterns of circadian PER1, CREB, BMAL1 and CLOCK proteins in the hippocampus of aged rats and the possible changes in these temporal patterns can interfere with learning a task in an open field. This will characterized the temporal pattern of proteins in the hippocampus by immunostainings for proteins, comparing young and old animals (Experiment 1). Training will be held involving spatial memory in Morris water maze and subsequent verification of changes on the temporal patterns of protein (Experiment 2). Finally, if the training will be tested on spatial memory task and the possible changes that occur in the temporal pattern of proteins have effects on learning in the task of habituation in open field, comparing young and old animals trained in the task of spatial memory and their control in a trained task in not spatial water maze (Experiment 3). The data will be analyzed by immunostainings of the method Cosinor and behavioral data using ANOVA for multiple comparisons.

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

NILS, Aline Vilar Machado. Spatial working memory training in aged rats: effects in anxiety, habituation and density of cells in the hippocampus. 2015. Doctoral Thesis - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Biociências São Paulo.