A transient insulin system dysfunction in newborn rat brain followed by neonatal intracerebroventricular administration of streptozotocin could be accompanied by a labile cognitive impairment. (July 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Abbasi, Zohreh; Behnam-Rassouli, Fatemeh; Ghahramani Seno, Mohammad Mahdi; Fereidoni, Masoud
• Is Part Of: Neuroscience research. Volume 132(2018)
• Page Start: 17
• Page End: 25
• Publication Date: 2018-07
• Subjects: Early postnatal period -- Streptozotocin -- Insulin receptor signaling -- Cognitive function -- Hippocampus; Neurosciences -- Research -- Periodicals; Neurosciences -- Research -- Japan -- Periodicals; Neurology -- Periodicals; Neurosciences -- Periodicals; Neurosciences -- Recherche -- Périodiques; Neurosciences -- Recherche -- Japon -- Périodiques; Neurosciences -- Research; Japan; Periodicals; 612.8
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2017.10.003
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0168-0102

Abstract

Highlights: 20 μg/kg icv-STZ at critical postnatal period causes transient IR mRNA alterations. ChAT and Tau undergo transient impairments at mRNA levels by 20 μg/kg icv-STZ. 20 μg/kg icv-STZ induces short-term behavioral deficits at developmental age. Abstract: The early postnatal period is a critical period of hippocampus development, which is highly dependent on insulin receptor (IR) signaling and very important in cognitive function. The present study was conducted in order to present a model of neonatal transient brain insulin system dysfunction through finding an appropriate dose of injection of streptozotocin (STZ) during the neonatal period. Sixty male Wistar rat pups were divided into 4 groups of 15 and received intracerebroventricular saline or STZ (icv-STZ) (15, 20 and 25 μg/kg) on postnatal day 7. Gene expression of IR and target genes for IR signaling (choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and Tau) were measured at the ages of 2 and 7 weeks. Behavioral tests were performed at the ages of 3 and 6 weeks to assess short- and long-term cognitive function. 20 μg/kg dose of icv-STZ was estimated as the optimal dose causing transient alteration in gene expression of IR, ChAT and Tau. Additionally, cognitive function of the animals restored to normal level at the age of 6 weeks. Therefore, 20 μg/kg dose of icv-STZ is proposed as a new approach to generating transient brain insulin system dysfunction associated with transient cognitive impairments at a critical postnatal period of brain development.