Repeated social defeat decreased neurogenesis and impaired working memory in mice

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2014-02

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Research Projects

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Abstract

Recent studies demonstrate that microglia activation and inflammatory cytokines are potent regulators of cognition and neuroplasticity. Moreover, repeated social defeat (RSD) in mice causes microglia activation and increased production inflammatory cytokines in the brain. The present examined the association between hippocampal cytokine expression, learning & memory, and hippocampal neurogenesis. We show that RSD increased production of hippocampal cytokines (i.e., IL-1b, IL-6, and TNFa) without reducing common neurogenic growth factors (e.g., VEGF, NGF, IGF1, and BDNF). Increased hippocampal cytokine expression was not associated with reduced proliferation or survival of hippocampal neural progenitor cells (NPCs) but was associated with reduced NPC differentiation into NeuN expressing neurons (BrdU+/NeuN+). Moreover, corresponding with increased hippocampal cytokines, impaired spatial memory recall was observed in the Morris water maze and Barnes maze that was independent of increased anxiety-like behaviors (i.e., thigmotaxis). Taken together, RSD-induced hippocampal cytokine expression was associated with impaired spatial memory recall and impaired NPC differentiation.

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Poster Division: Biological Sciences: 3rd Place (The Ohio State University Edward F. Hayes Graduate Research Forum)

Keywords

Neurogenesis, Stress, Cytokines, Hippocampus, Learning and Memory

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