Article type: Research Article
Authors: Yang, Huiyun | Shi, Ouyan | Jin, Yanjiao | Henrich-Noack, Petra | Qiao, Haixuan | Cai, Chunquan | Tao, Huaying | Tian, Xin
Affiliations: School of Biomedical Engineering, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China | School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China | General Hospital, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China | Institute of Medical Psychology, Medical Faculty, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany | Department of Neurosurgery, Tianjin Children's Hospital, Tianjin, China
Note: [] These authors contributed equally to this work.
Note: [] These authors contributed equally to this work.
Note: [] These authors contributed equally to this work.
Note: [] Corresponding author: Prof. Xin Tian and Huaying Tao, School of Biomedical Engineering, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China; General Hospital, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China. Tel./Fax: +86 22 23542726; Emails: tianx@tijmu.edu.cn (X. Tian), taohuaying@126.com (H. Tao).
Note: [] Corresponding author: Prof. Xin Tian and Huaying Tao, School of Biomedical Engineering, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China; General Hospital, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China. Tel./Fax: +86 22 23542726; Emails: tianx@tijmu.edu.cn (X. Tian), taohuaying@126.com (H. Tao).
Abstract: Purpose: The present study clarified the effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in rats with vascular dementia (VaD) and explored the underlying mechanisms. Methods: Two-vessel occlusion was used as a VaD model. Two weeks after carotid artery occlusion, high (5 Hz) or low (1 Hz) frequency rTMS were applied for 10 days. Spatial learning and memory abilities were tested with a Morris water maze. Hippocampal CA1 neurons were histologically examined. The expressions of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF-4E) in CA1 were detected by western blot, and immunohistochemistry. Results: Unlike unlesioned control animals, VaD rats had an impaired morphology of CA1 neurons and a reduced ability of spatial memory. rTMS significantly improved both, the morphology and the learning and memory abilities of VaD rats compared to untreated lesioned rats. Protein expressions of mTOR and eIF-4E in CA1 of VaD rats were lower than in control rats but rTMS significantly increased the expression compared to untreated VaD rats. Conclusions: rTMS promotes recovery of learning and memory abilities of VaD rats. Molecular analysis suggests that the beneficial effect of rTMS may be partly induced by upregulation of protein expressions of mTOR and eIF-4E in CA1.
Keywords: Vascular dementia (VaD), repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), learning and memory, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4 (eIF-4E), Morris Water Maze, 2-vessel occlusion
DOI: 10.3233/RNN-140409
Journal: Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience, vol. 32, no. 5, pp. 689-700, 2014
