Effects of maternal hypothyroidism during pregnancy on learning, memory and hippocampal BDNF in rat pups: Beneficial effects of exercise. (4th August 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Shafiee, Seyed Morteza; Vafaei, Abbas Ali; Rashidy-Pour, Ali
• Is Part Of: Neuroscience. Volume 329(2016)
• Page Start: 151
• Page End: 161
• Publication Date: 2016-08-04
• Subjects: BDNF brain derived neurotrophic factor -- GD gestation day -- NGF nerve growth factor -- PND postnatal day -- PTU 6-propyl-2-thiourycil -- WM water maze; hypothyroidism -- exercise -- spatial memory -- BDNF -- rat; Neurochemistry -- Periodicals; Neurophysiology -- Periodicals; Neurology -- Periodicals; Neurochimie -- Périodiques; Neurophysiologie -- Périodiques; Neurochemistry; Neurophysiology; Electronic journals; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 612.8
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.04.048
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0306-4522

Abstract

Highlights: Congenital hypothyroidism impaired learning and memory and reduced BDNF in rat pups. Exercise during the postnatal period improved cognitive deficits in hypothyroid pups. Exercise during the postnatal period enhanced hippocampal BDNF in hypothyroid pups. Physical activity alleviated disorders produced by maternal hypothyroidism in neonates. Abstract: Hypothyroidism during early development leads to numerous morphological, biochemical and functional changes in developing brain. In this study, we investigated the effects of voluntary and treadmill exercise on learning, memory and hippocampal BDNF levels in both hypothyroid male and female rat pups. To induce hypothyroidism in the mothers, 6-propyl-2-thiouracil (PTU) was added to their drinking water (100 mg/L) from their embryonic day 6 to their postnatal day (PND) 21. For 14 days, from PNDs 31 to 44, the rat pups were trained with one of the two different exercise protocols, namely the mild treadmill exercise and the voluntary wheel exercise. On PNDs 45–52, a water maze was used for testing their learning and memory ability. The rats were sacrificed one day later and their BDNF levels were then measured in the hippocampus. The findings of the present study indicate that hypothyroidism during the fetal period and the early postnatal period is associated with the impairment of spatial learning and memory and reduced hippocampal BDNF levels in both male and female rat offspring. Both the short-term treadmill exercise and the voluntary wheel exercise performed during the postnatal period reverse the behavioral and neurochemical deficits induced by developmental thyroid hormone insufficiency in both male and female rat offspring. The findings of this study thus demonstrate a marked reversibility of both behavioral and neurochemical disorders induced by developmental thyroid hormone insufficiency through the performance of exercise.