Effects of enriched environment in middle-aged rats subjected to acute perinatal asphyxia.

GALEANO P.; ROMERO J.I.; SARACENO G.E.; UEHARA J.M.

Huerta Grande

Congreso; XXVI Congreso Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Investigación en Neurociencias (SAN); 2011

Sociedad Argentina de Investigación en Neurociencias (SAN)

Information regarding the effects of perinatal asphyxia in middle-aged rats is scarce. On the other hand, exposure to enriched environment has been shown to be beneficial in different models of brain injury. The main aim of the present study was to assess if PA worsens some of the brain and behavioral alterations frequently observed in middle-aged rats. As well as, if life-long exposure to EE could prevent those alterations. Controls (CTL) and perinatal asphyxiated (PA) rats were assigned to enriched (EE) or standard environment (SE) at 21 days of age, for 18 months. Results showed that CTL and PA rats reared in SE did not differ in their locomotion and anxiety levels, while EE reduced locomotion and anxiety levels in spite of birth condition. Additionally, EE prevented the spatial reference and working memory impairments seen in PA rats reared in SE. Furthermore, EE diminished astrogliosis, increased synaptic density and expression of BDNF in CA1 region of the hippocampus in CTL and PA rats. It is concluded that life-long exposure to EE prevents the cognitive deficits observed in middle-aged rats subjected to perinatal asphyxia, possibly due to the morphological, ultrastructural and molecular changes associated with exposure to EE.