Decreased nitric oxide levels in the hippocampus may play a role in learning and memory deficits in ovariectomized rats treated by a high dose of estradiol

• Autor(a) principal: Sadeghian,Reihaneh
• Data de Publicação: 2012
• Outros Autores: Fereidoni,Masoud, Soukhtanloo,Mohammad, Azizi-Malekabadi,Hamid, Hosseini,Mahmoud
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Arquivos de neuro-psiquiatria (Online)
• Texto Completo: http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0004-282X2012001100010
• topic: estradiol; rat; hippocampus; nitric oxide

The effects of a high estradiol dose on memory and on nitric oxide metabolites in hippocampal tissues were investigated. Sham-Est and OVX-Est Groups were treated with 4 mg/kg of estradiol valerate for 12 weeks. Time latency and path length were significantly higher in the Sham-Est and OVX-Est Groups than in the Sham and OVX Groups, respectively (p<0.001). The animals in the Sham-Est and OVX-Est Groups spent lower time in the target quadrant (Q1) than those of the Sham and OVX Groups during the probe trial test (p<0.05 and <0.001, respectively). Significantly lower nitric oxide metabolite levels in the hippocampi of the Sham-Est and OVX-Est Groups were observed than in the Sham and OVX ones (p<0.001). These results suggest that decreased nitric oxide levels in the hippocampus may play a role in the learning and memory deficits observed after treatment with a high dose of estradiol, although the precise underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated.