Motor, learning and memory impairments in adult asphyctic rats

P. GALEANO; E. BLANCO CALVO; J. I. ROMERO; G. E. SARACENO; M. L. AON BERTOLINO; L. CUENYA; G. V. KAMENETZKY; A. E. MUSTACA; F. RODRÍGUEZ DE FONSECA; J. MILEI; F. CAPANI

Whashington

Congreso; Neuroscience 2011; 2011

Perinatal asphyxia remains as one of the most important causes of death and disability in children, without an effective treatment. Moreover, little is known about the long-lasting behavioral consequences of asphyxia at birth. Despite the fact that it is very difficult to study the adulthood consequences of perinatal asphyxia in humans, there are few studies addressing behavioral features in adult asphyctic rats. Therefore, the main aim of the present study was to investigate the motor, emotional and cognitive functions of adult asphyctic rats. Experimental subjects consisted of rats born vaginally (CTL, n = 23), by cesarean section (C+, n = 23), or by cesarean section following 19 min of asphyxia (PA, n= 23) (see Capani et al., 2009 and Saraceno et al., 2010). At three months of age animals were examined in a behavioral test battery including elevated plus maze, open field, Morris water maze, and an incentive downshift procedure. Results indicated that groups did not differ in anxiety-related behaviors, although a large variability was observed in the asphyctic group and therefore, the results are not completely conclusive. In addition, PA and C+ rats showed a deficit in exploration of new environments, but to a much lesser extent in the latter group. Spatial reference and working memory impairments were also found in PA rats. Finally, when animals were downshifted from a 32 % to a 4 % sucrose solution, an attenuated suppression of consummatory behavior were observed in PA rats. These results confirmed and extended those reported previously about the behavioral alterations associated with acute asphyxia around birth.