Extensive enriched environments protect old rats from the agingdependent impairment of spatial cognition, synaptic plasticity and nitric oxide production

S. LORES-ARNAIZ, J. BUSTAMANTE M, ARISMENDI , S. VILAS , N. PAGLIA, N. BASSO,F. CAPANI , H. COIRINI , J.J. LOPEZ COSTA , M.R. LORES ARNAIZ

BEHAVIOURAL BRAIN RESEARCH

Año: 2006 p. 294 - 302

0166-4328

Abstract In aged rodents, neuronal plasticity decreases while spatial learning and working memory (WM) deficits increase. As it is well known, rats reared in enriched environments (EE) show better cognitive performances and an increased neuronal plasticity than rats reared in standard environments (SE).We hypothesized thatEEcould preserve the aged animals from cognitive impairment throughNOdependent mechanisms of neuronal plasticity. WMperformance and plasticity were measured in 27-month-old rats from EE and SE. EE animals showed a better spatialWMperformance (66% increase) than SE ones. Cytosolic NOS activity was 128 and 155% higher in EE male and female rats, respectively. Mitochondrial NOS activity and expression were also significantly higher in EE male and female rats. Mitochondrial NOS protein expression was higher in brain submitochondrial membranes from EE reared rats. Complex I activity was 70–80% increased in EE as compared to SE rats. A significant increase in the area of NADPH-d reactive neurons was observed in the parietotemporal cortex and CA1 hippocampal region of EE animals.