Mild acute stress reactivates memory of a discriminative avoidance task in mice

Author(s)

Takatsu-Coleman, Andre L. ^[1] ; Patti, Camilla L. ^{[2, 1]} ; Zanin, Karina A. ^{[2, 1]} ; Sanday, Leandro ^[1] ; Zager, Adriano ^[2] ; Carvalho, Rita C. ^[1] ; Andersen, Monica L. ^[2] ; Tufik, Sergio ^[2] ; Frussa-Filho, Roberto ^{[2, 1]}

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Fed Sao Paulo, Dept Farmacol, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[2] Univ Fed Sao Paulo, Dept Psicobiol, Sao Paulo - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: STRESS-THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL ON THE BIOLOGY OF STRESS; v. 16, n. 3, p. 278-288, MAY 2013.
• Web of Science Citations: 3

Abstract

Previous studies have demonstrated that stress or glucocorticoids impair the retrieval of spatial memory in rodents and declarative memory in humans. However, the effects on memory retrieval of stress introduced a long time after learning have not been well studied. We investigated whether a mild, extrinsic stressor (1-s 0.1 or 0.3 mA foot shock) would reactivate low baseline retrieval of an aversive memory {[}the plus-maze discriminative avoidance task (PM-DAT)] and if it would be modulated by glucocorticoids. In Experiment 1, male Swiss mice received pre-test foot shock (n = 10 mice/group) 7 days after training and just before testing. A time-retrieval curve for low baseline retrieval for the subsequent experiments was also determined (Experiment 2, n = 10 mice/group). We investigated if pre-test foot shock could modify corticosterone release (Experiment 3, n = 8-9 mice/group) and reinstate retrieval in the PM-DAT (Experiment 4, n = 15 mice/group). The effects of metyrapone (100 mg/kg) on retrieval reinstatement (Experiment 5, n = 15 mice/group) and serum corticosterone enhancement (Experiments 6, n = 7-9 mice/group) induced by foot shock were analyzed. Finally, the effects of foot shock itself on PM-DAT exploration were verified (Experiment 7, n = 10 mice/group). We demonstrated here that foot shock reinstated the retrieval of a low baseline, discriminative avoidance task 30 (but not 7) days after training. This facilitative effect was not dependent on corticosterone secretion because metyrapone abolished the enhancement of corticosterone concentration but did not reverse the stress-induced reinstatement of retrieval. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 98/14303-3 - Center for Sleep Studies
• Grantee: Sergio Tufik
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Research, Innovation and Dissemination Centers - RIDC