The effect of exercise on spatial learning and hippocampal proteins in maternally separated adult rats

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dc.contributor.advisorRussell, Vivienne Aen_ZA
dc.contributor.advisorBugarith, Kishoren_ZA
dc.contributor.authorMakena, Nokuthulaen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2015-07-03T08:29:59Z
dc.date.available2015-07-03T08:29:59Z
dc.date.issued2014en_ZA
dc.descriptionIncludes bibliographical references.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractRepeated maternal separation (MS) has been reported to induce changes in hypothalamic-pituitary- adrenal (HPA) axis activity leading to abnormal stress responses later in life. Such alterations have also been linked to poor cognitive function. In contrast, exercise enhances cognitive function. Previously, we reported that MS improved object location memory. However, exercise had no effect on object location memory despite increases in levels of synaptophysin and phospho-extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (pERK) in the hippocampus of non-separated-exercised rats. In the current study, the same MS technique and three-week voluntary exercise regimen were tested to determine their effect on spatial learning in young adult Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. A total of 144 rats were either maternally separated from postnatal day 2 to 14 or designated as controls. At postnatal day 50, rats were transferred to cages with attached running wheels. Approximately half of the rats were allowed to exercise voluntarily in the wheels whilst the wheels attached to the cages of the remaining non-exercising rats were immobilised. Rats were divided into 3 cohorts. Cohort 1 provided baseline levels of pERK, mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase-1 (MKP-1) and brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) after exercise. Cohorts 2 and 3 were trained in the Morris Water Maze (MWM) 1 and 15 days post-exercise, respectively. Consistent with our previous findings, pERK was increased in non-separated-exercised rats post-exercise. MKP-1, the regulator of pERK, was also increased in the non-separated-exercised group. BDNF was decreased in the MS non-exercised group but augmented by exercise. All groups trained immediately after exercise performed similarly in the MWM but MS rats from cohort 3 had better reversal spatial memory. According to these results, repeated MS decreased neurotrophic factors but did not alter the plasticity-related proteins measured in this study. However, this phenomenon was not associated with performance in the spatial learning and memory task in the MWM. These current observations support our previous findings that MS can cause adaptations that lead to improved learning and memory in adulthood.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationMakena, N. (2014). <i>The effect of exercise on spatial learning and hippocampal proteins in maternally separated adult rats</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Department of Human Biology. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13340en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationMakena, Nokuthula. <i>"The effect of exercise on spatial learning and hippocampal proteins in maternally separated adult rats."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Department of Human Biology, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13340en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationMakena, N. 2014. The effect of exercise on spatial learning and hippocampal proteins in maternally separated adult rats. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Makena, Nokuthula AB - Repeated maternal separation (MS) has been reported to induce changes in hypothalamic-pituitary- adrenal (HPA) axis activity leading to abnormal stress responses later in life. Such alterations have also been linked to poor cognitive function. In contrast, exercise enhances cognitive function. Previously, we reported that MS improved object location memory. However, exercise had no effect on object location memory despite increases in levels of synaptophysin and phospho-extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (pERK) in the hippocampus of non-separated-exercised rats. In the current study, the same MS technique and three-week voluntary exercise regimen were tested to determine their effect on spatial learning in young adult Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. A total of 144 rats were either maternally separated from postnatal day 2 to 14 or designated as controls. At postnatal day 50, rats were transferred to cages with attached running wheels. Approximately half of the rats were allowed to exercise voluntarily in the wheels whilst the wheels attached to the cages of the remaining non-exercising rats were immobilised. Rats were divided into 3 cohorts. Cohort 1 provided baseline levels of pERK, mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase-1 (MKP-1) and brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) after exercise. Cohorts 2 and 3 were trained in the Morris Water Maze (MWM) 1 and 15 days post-exercise, respectively. Consistent with our previous findings, pERK was increased in non-separated-exercised rats post-exercise. MKP-1, the regulator of pERK, was also increased in the non-separated-exercised group. BDNF was decreased in the MS non-exercised group but augmented by exercise. All groups trained immediately after exercise performed similarly in the MWM but MS rats from cohort 3 had better reversal spatial memory. According to these results, repeated MS decreased neurotrophic factors but did not alter the plasticity-related proteins measured in this study. However, this phenomenon was not associated with performance in the spatial learning and memory task in the MWM. These current observations support our previous findings that MS can cause adaptations that lead to improved learning and memory in adulthood. DA - 2014 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2014 T1 - The effect of exercise on spatial learning and hippocampal proteins in maternally separated adult rats TI - The effect of exercise on spatial learning and hippocampal proteins in maternally separated adult rats UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13340 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/13340
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationMakena N. The effect of exercise on spatial learning and hippocampal proteins in maternally separated adult rats. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Department of Human Biology, 2014 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13340en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Human Biologyen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Health Sciencesen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherNeuroscienceen_ZA
dc.titleThe effect of exercise on spatial learning and hippocampal proteins in maternally separated adult ratsen_ZA
dc.typeMaster Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationnameMSc (Med)en_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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