Impact of neonatal anoxia on adult rat hippocampal volume, neurogenesis and behavior

Author(s):Show less -

Takada, Silvia Honda ^{[1, 2]} ; Motta-Teixeira, Livia Clemente ^[3] ; Machado-Nils, Aline Vilar ^[3] ; Lee, Vitor Yonamine ^[1] ; Sampaio, Carlos Alberto ^[1] ; Polli, Roberson Saraiva ^[4] ; Malheiros, Jackeline Moraes ^[4] ; Takase, Luiz Fernando ^[5] ; Kihara, Alexandre Hiroaki ^[2] ; Covolan, Luciene ^[4] ; Xavier, Gilberto Fernando ^[3] ; Nogueira, Maria Ines ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Ciencias Biomed, Dept Anat, BR-05508 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[2] Univ Fed ABC, Ctr Matemat Comp & Cognicao, Nucleo Cognicao & Sistemas Complexos, Santo Andre - Brazil

^[3] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Biociencias, Dept Fisiol Geral, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[4] Univ Fed Sao Paulo, Dept Fisiol, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[5] Univ Fed Sao Carlos, Ctr Ciencias Biol & Saude, Dept Morfol & Patol, BR-13560 Sao Carlos, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Behavioural Brain Research; v. 296, p. 331-338, JAN 1 2016.
• Web of Science Citations: 8

Abstract

Neonates that suffer oxygen deprivation during birth can have long lasting cognitive deficits, such as memory and learning impairments. Hippocampus, one of the main structures that participate in memory and learning processes, is a plastic and dynamic structure that conserves during life span the property of generating new cells which can become neurons, the so-called neurogenesis. The present study investigated whether a model of rat neonatal anoxia, that causes only respiratory distress, is able to alter the hippocampal volume, the neurogenesis rate and has functional implications in adult life. MRI analysis revealed significant hippocampal volume decrease in adult rats who had experienced neonatal anoxia compared to control animals for rostra!, caudal and total hippocampus. In addition, these animals also had 55.7% decrease of double-labelled cells to BrdU and NeuN, reflecting a decrease in neurogenesis rate. Finally, behavioral analysis indicated that neonatal anoxia resulted in disruption of spatial working memory, similar to human condition, accompanied by an anxiogenic effect. The observed behavioral alterations caused by oxygen deprivation at birth might represent an outcome of the decreased hippocampal neurogenesis and volume, evidenced by immunohistochemistry and MRI analysis. Therefore, based on current findings we propose this model as suitable to explore new therapeutic approaches. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 10/01488-9 - Study of the organization and of the neuronal dynamics: neuroanal death and neurogenesis of the rats brain after neonatal anoxia
• Grantee: Maria Inês Nogueira
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants