TY - JOUR
T1 - Maintenance of superior learning and memory function in NR2B transgenic mice during ageing
AU - Cao, Xiaohua
AU - Cui, Zhenzhong
AU - Feng, Ruiben
AU - Tang, Ya Ping
AU - Qin, Zhenxia
AU - Mei, Bing
AU - Tsien, Joe Z.
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2008 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2007/3
Y1 - 2007/3
N2 - Brain ageing represents a general and evolutionarily conserved phenomenon and is marked by gradual declines in cognitive functions such as learning and memory. As a synaptic coincidence detector, the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor is known to be essential for the induction of synaptic plasticity and memory formation. Here, we test the hypothesis that up-regulation of NR2B expression is beneficial for learning and memory in the aged animals. Our in vitro recordings show that the aged transgenic mice with the forebrain-specific overexpression of the NR2B subunit indeed exhibit more robust hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) induced by either high-frequency stimulation or theta-stimulation protocol. Furthermore, those aged NR2B transgenic mice consistently outperform their wild-type littermates in five different learning and memory tests, namely, novel object recognition, contextual and cued fear conditioning, spatial reference memory, and spatial working memory T-maze task. Thus, we conclude that increased expression of NR2B in the forebrain improves learning and memory function in the aged brain.
AB - Brain ageing represents a general and evolutionarily conserved phenomenon and is marked by gradual declines in cognitive functions such as learning and memory. As a synaptic coincidence detector, the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor is known to be essential for the induction of synaptic plasticity and memory formation. Here, we test the hypothesis that up-regulation of NR2B expression is beneficial for learning and memory in the aged animals. Our in vitro recordings show that the aged transgenic mice with the forebrain-specific overexpression of the NR2B subunit indeed exhibit more robust hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) induced by either high-frequency stimulation or theta-stimulation protocol. Furthermore, those aged NR2B transgenic mice consistently outperform their wild-type littermates in five different learning and memory tests, namely, novel object recognition, contextual and cued fear conditioning, spatial reference memory, and spatial working memory T-maze task. Thus, we conclude that increased expression of NR2B in the forebrain improves learning and memory function in the aged brain.
KW - Brainageing hippocampus
KW - LTP
KW - Memory NMDA receptor
KW - NR2B
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=34047250333&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2007.05431.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2007.05431.x
M3 - Article
C2 - 17432968
AN - SCOPUS:34047250333
SN - 0953-816X
VL - 25
SP - 1815
EP - 1822
JO - European Journal of Neuroscience
JF - European Journal of Neuroscience
IS - 6
ER -