Amyloid β protein injection into medial septum impairs hippocampal long-term potentiation and cognitive behaviors in rats.
- Author:
Mei-Na WU
1
;
Lin-Lin KONG
1
;
Jun ZHANG
1
;
Meng-Ming HU
1
;
Zhao-Jun WANG
1
;
Hong-Yan CAI
2
;
Jin-Shun QI
3
,
4
Author Information
1. Department of Physiology, Key Laboratory of Cellular Physiology, Ministry of Education, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, China.
2. Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, China.
3. Department of Physiology, Key Laboratory of Cellular Physiology, Ministry of Education, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, China. jinshunqi2009@
4. com.
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- From:
Acta Physiologica Sinica
2018;70(3):217-227
- CountryChina
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
The specific loss of cholinergic neurons and the progressive deficits of cognitive function are the most primary characteristics of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Although the neurotoxicity of amyloid β protein (Aβ) in AD has been investigated extensively, it is still unclear whether the Aβ aggregated in the medial septum (MS), a major cholinergic nucleus projecting to the hippocampus, could affect hippocampal synaptic plasticity and further impair the memory behaviors. The present study investigated the effects of Aβ injection into the MS on hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) and cognitive behaviors of rats by using Morris water maze (MWM), Y maze and in vivo hippocampal LTP recording. The effects of kainic acid (KA), an agent with specific neurotoxicity to GABAergic neurons, were also observed. The results showed that: (1) Intra-MS injection of Aβ, not KA, impaired spatial learning and memory of rats in classical and reversal MWM tests; (2) Both Aβ and KA impaired novelty-seeking behavior of rats in Y maze; (3) Intra-MS injection of Aβ, not KA, suppressed in vivo hippocampal LTP in the CA1 region of rats; (4) Both Aβ and KA did not affect the motor ability in behavioral tests and the hippocampal paired-pulse facilitation (PPF) in electrophysiological recording. These results indicate that intra-MS injection of Aβ could impair spatial memory, cognitive flexibility and exploratory motivation, as well as hippocampal LTP in rats, suggesting that the cholinergic neurons in the MS and the septo-hippocampal projection could be important targets of neurotoxic Aβ, and the specific damage of cholinergic neurons in the MS is likely responsible for the impairments of hippocampal synaptic plasticity and cognitive function in AD.
