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Enriched environment and masticatory activity rehabilitation recover spatial memory decline in aged mice

Enriched environment and masticatory activity rehabilitation recover spatial memory decline in aged mice
Enriched environment and masticatory activity rehabilitation recover spatial memory decline in aged mice

Background: To measure the impact of masticatory reduction on learning and memory, previous studies have produced experimental masticatory reduction by modified diet or molar removal. Here we induced spatial learning impairment in mice by reducing masticatory activity and then tested the effect of a combination of environmental enrichment and masticatory rehabilitation in recovering spatial learning at adulthood and in later life. For 6 months (6M) or 18 months (18M), we fed three groups of mice from postnatal day 21 respectively with a hard diet (HD) of pellets; pellets followed by a powdered, soft diet (HD/SD, divided into equal periods); or pellets followed by powder, followed by pellets again (HD/SD/HD, divided into equal periods). To mimic sedentary or active lifestyles, half of the animals from each group were raised from weaning in standard cages (impoverished environment; IE) and the other half in enriched cages (enriched environment; EE). To evaluate spatial learning, we used the Morris water maze.Results: IE6M-HD/SD mice showed lower learning rates compared with control (IE6M-HD) or masticatory rehabilitated (IE6MHD/SD/HD) animals. Similarly, EE-HD/SD mice independent of age showed lower performance than controls (EE-HD) or rehabilitated mice (EE-HD/SD/HD). However, combined rehabilitation and EE in aged mice improved learning rate up to control levels. Learning rates did not correlate with swim speed.Conclusions: Reduction in masticatory activity imposed on mice previously fed a hard diet (HD/SD) impaired spatial learning in the Morris water maze. In adults, masticatory rehabilitation recovered spatial abilities in both sedentary and active mice, and rehabilitation of masticatory activity combined with EE recovered these losses in aged mice.

Enriched environment, Mastication, Masticatory rehabilitation, Morris water maze, Spatial learning
1471-2202
Mendes, Fabíola de Carvalho Chaves de Siqueira
bdbb9e7d-b7e5-4a49-82f1-582536bd08f8
de Almeida, Marina Negrão Frota
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Felício, André Pinheiro Gurgel
caad639c-6d73-4f05-8c27-6864928acc33
Fadel, Ana Carla
8747dc89-1e3f-4173-bdda-17df2e7949fb
Silva, Diego de Jesus
fc6df757-024f-42fd-87eb-1f43038008e9
Borralho, Thaíssa Gomes
dfa77b77-fd12-4f38-a19b-58d9079a5444
da Silva, Rodrigo Perez
da06d501-fee5-4530-be31-fe6820c33e89
Bento-Torres, João
1a8c0126-eee8-4a32-9bda-5faae754dc3e
Vasconcelos, Pedro Fernando da Costa
5924fca7-983c-4ad6-9c74-d88918c78ded
Perry, Victor Hugh
8f29d36a-8e1f-4082-8700-09483bbaeae4
Ramos, Edson Marcos Leal Soares
a850e1f9-a19b-4f21-bfad-71e96d722175
Picanço-Diniz, Cristovam Wanderley
014f722f-9f1f-498f-acc3-7ab499783417
Sosthenes, Marcia Consentino Kronka
ff7bf3e5-5d83-4a7a-9143-9a3769fc932b
Mendes, Fabíola de Carvalho Chaves de Siqueira
bdbb9e7d-b7e5-4a49-82f1-582536bd08f8
de Almeida, Marina Negrão Frota
77e71da1-2a18-4f1c-8eb6-f6de75712e59
Felício, André Pinheiro Gurgel
caad639c-6d73-4f05-8c27-6864928acc33
Fadel, Ana Carla
8747dc89-1e3f-4173-bdda-17df2e7949fb
Silva, Diego de Jesus
fc6df757-024f-42fd-87eb-1f43038008e9
Borralho, Thaíssa Gomes
dfa77b77-fd12-4f38-a19b-58d9079a5444
da Silva, Rodrigo Perez
da06d501-fee5-4530-be31-fe6820c33e89
Bento-Torres, João
1a8c0126-eee8-4a32-9bda-5faae754dc3e
Vasconcelos, Pedro Fernando da Costa
5924fca7-983c-4ad6-9c74-d88918c78ded
Perry, Victor Hugh
8f29d36a-8e1f-4082-8700-09483bbaeae4
Ramos, Edson Marcos Leal Soares
a850e1f9-a19b-4f21-bfad-71e96d722175
Picanço-Diniz, Cristovam Wanderley
014f722f-9f1f-498f-acc3-7ab499783417
Sosthenes, Marcia Consentino Kronka
ff7bf3e5-5d83-4a7a-9143-9a3769fc932b

Mendes, Fabíola de Carvalho Chaves de Siqueira, de Almeida, Marina Negrão Frota, Felício, André Pinheiro Gurgel, Fadel, Ana Carla, Silva, Diego de Jesus, Borralho, Thaíssa Gomes, da Silva, Rodrigo Perez, Bento-Torres, João, Vasconcelos, Pedro Fernando da Costa, Perry, Victor Hugh, Ramos, Edson Marcos Leal Soares, Picanço-Diniz, Cristovam Wanderley and Sosthenes, Marcia Consentino Kronka (2013) Enriched environment and masticatory activity rehabilitation recover spatial memory decline in aged mice. BMC Neuroscience, 14, [63]. (doi:10.1186/1471-2202-14-63).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Background: To measure the impact of masticatory reduction on learning and memory, previous studies have produced experimental masticatory reduction by modified diet or molar removal. Here we induced spatial learning impairment in mice by reducing masticatory activity and then tested the effect of a combination of environmental enrichment and masticatory rehabilitation in recovering spatial learning at adulthood and in later life. For 6 months (6M) or 18 months (18M), we fed three groups of mice from postnatal day 21 respectively with a hard diet (HD) of pellets; pellets followed by a powdered, soft diet (HD/SD, divided into equal periods); or pellets followed by powder, followed by pellets again (HD/SD/HD, divided into equal periods). To mimic sedentary or active lifestyles, half of the animals from each group were raised from weaning in standard cages (impoverished environment; IE) and the other half in enriched cages (enriched environment; EE). To evaluate spatial learning, we used the Morris water maze.Results: IE6M-HD/SD mice showed lower learning rates compared with control (IE6M-HD) or masticatory rehabilitated (IE6MHD/SD/HD) animals. Similarly, EE-HD/SD mice independent of age showed lower performance than controls (EE-HD) or rehabilitated mice (EE-HD/SD/HD). However, combined rehabilitation and EE in aged mice improved learning rate up to control levels. Learning rates did not correlate with swim speed.Conclusions: Reduction in masticatory activity imposed on mice previously fed a hard diet (HD/SD) impaired spatial learning in the Morris water maze. In adults, masticatory rehabilitation recovered spatial abilities in both sedentary and active mice, and rehabilitation of masticatory activity combined with EE recovered these losses in aged mice.

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More information

Published date: 28 June 2013
Additional Information: Funding Information: This project was supported by research funds from the Brazilian government. MCKS was supported by grants from the Brazilian Research Council CNPq (grant numbers 475677/2008-0 and 470077/2012-3) and the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Pará (FAPESPA, grant number 136/08). Research funds from the Fundação de Amparo e Desenvolvimento da Pesquisa (FADESP) and the Pró-Reitoria de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação (PROPESP/UFPA) covered proofreading, editing, and publication fees.
Keywords: Enriched environment, Mastication, Masticatory rehabilitation, Morris water maze, Spatial learning

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 479119
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/479119
ISSN: 1471-2202
PURE UUID: 0ff78862-95ec-480e-9973-5fe5c9089382

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Date deposited: 20 Jul 2023 16:36
Last modified: 05 Jun 2024 17:33

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Contributors

Author: Fabíola de Carvalho Chaves de Siqueira Mendes
Author: Marina Negrão Frota de Almeida
Author: André Pinheiro Gurgel Felício
Author: Ana Carla Fadel
Author: Diego de Jesus Silva
Author: Thaíssa Gomes Borralho
Author: Rodrigo Perez da Silva
Author: João Bento-Torres
Author: Pedro Fernando da Costa Vasconcelos
Author: Edson Marcos Leal Soares Ramos
Author: Cristovam Wanderley Picanço-Diniz
Author: Marcia Consentino Kronka Sosthenes

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