Sex always matters: differential facilitation of an aversive memory by exercise in mice.

M JIMENA SANTOS; PICCO SOLEDAD; KRAWCYK MARIA; JULIETA MILLAN; FERNÁNDEZ, RODRIGO S.; M.E. PEDREIRA; MARIANO BOCCIA

Buenos Aires

Congreso; XXXV Congreso SAN 2020; 2020

SAN

In the last years a growing body of research have focused in the study of physical activity on cognitive processes. Studies carried out in humans and rodents have found a correlation between exercise and improved cognition. Thus, exercise appears as a non-pharmacological tool for ameliorate cognitive impairments associated with aging. However, despite some encouraging results, variability in terms of positive effects on memory processes exists throughout the literature. In this sense, biological sex appears as an important variable of such modulation. Here we explored in males and females young mice adults the effect of wheel running in the consolidation and reconsolidation of an aversive memory. Briefly, after a period of adaptation to the wheel, animals were trained in the inhibitory avoidance task. Immediately after one group was allowed to run on the wheel for 20 minutes while another group ran after a reactivation session. Results revealed an improvement in memory when animals ran within the consolidation window but no effect was evident during reconsolidation. Furthermore, memory enhancement was found only in males. In terms of performance on the wheel running, no differences between sexes were found in distance traveled or speed, although preliminary results seem to indicate that females take longer time to get on the wheel. Ongoing research is aimed to deepen in the behavioral and physiological implications of such modulation and the differences between both sexes.