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Ethanolic Extracts of Dysphania ambrosioides Alleviates Scopolamine-Induced Amnesia in Experimental Animals
Published in Atanu Bhattacharjee, Akula Ramakrishna, Magisetty Obulesu, Phytomedicine and Alzheimer’s Disease, 2020
Rajashri Bezbaruah, Chandana C. Barua, Lipika Buragohain, Pobitra Borah, Iswar Chandra Barua, Ghanshyam Panigrahi
The Barnes maze model was first developed by Dr. Carol Barnes in 1979 to measure spatial learning and memory in rodents, such as mice or rats (Barnes, 1979). The fundamental purpose of the Barnes maze model is to evaluate the potential of a rodent to recognize the location of a target zone with the help of an arrangement of distal visual cues located around the testing area. This function is based on the ability of the animal to run away from an aversive environment. The Barnes maze model is widely used by neuroscientists for evaluating the effect of novel chemical entities on the cognitive deficit model for diseases, like AD, and also to determine the effect on retention of learning and spatial memory of a mild traumatic brain injury. The maze is a circular surface consisting of 20 circular holes around its circumference. Different-colored shapes are placed around the table as visual cues in plain sight of the animal, and radiant light is used to light the table surface. An “escape box”, with some food, is placed under one of the holes. A rodent’s aversion to open environments prompts the animal to look for shelter in the escape box. Within four to five trials, a normal rodent will learn to find the escape box (Gawel et al., 2019; Paul et al., 2009).
Environmental enrichment: A preclinical model of neurorehabilitation for traumatic brain injury
Published in Mark J. Ashley, David A. Hovda, Traumatic Brain Injury, 2017
Corina O. Bondi, Anthony E. Kline
EE has also been reported to exert benefits after blast TBI (bTBI) produced via a compression-driven shock tube as reported by Kovesdi et al.63 Following the bTBI, the rats were evaluated for behavioral performance on the elevated plus maze (EPM) and Barnes maze commencing on day 15 and extending to day 66 postinjury. EE did not normalize anxiety postinjury on the EPM. However, EE did significantly improve spatial memory performance in the Barnes maze compared to the non-EE rats.63 Furthermore, the signaling protein vascular endothelial growth factor, a positive regulator of adult hippocampal neurogenesis,64 and tau protein, a marker of axonal degeneration, were normalized in the dorsal hippocampus in the rats exposed to EE. EE also reduced IL-6 expression in the ventral hippocampus.63 That EE is able to provide benefit in a model of bTBI, which is taking on more significance given the nature of injuries in the military, strengthens the paradigm.
The role of the mucin-glycan foraging Ruminococcus gnavus in the communication between the gut and the brain
Published in Gut Microbes, 2022
Erika Coletto, Dimitrios Latousakis, Matthew G. Pontifex, Emmanuelle H. Crost, Laura Vaux, Estella Perez Santamarina, Andrew Goldson, Arlaine Brion, Mohammad K. Hajihosseini, David Vauzour, George M Savva, Nathalie Juge
Spatial learning and memory were evaluated through the Barnes Maze as described previously but with slight modifications.107,108 Briefly, the maze was brightly illuminated (800 lux lighting), and the animal was placed onto the circular platform (92 cm diameter) and was trained to find the designated escape box among the 20 evenly distributed holes located around the circumference using visual cues (4 simple shapes) placed around the periphery. The experiment was conducted over a 3-day period, with training consisting of 7 trials on days 1 and 2. On day 3, a probe test was conducted, the maze was rotated 90°, the escape box was removed, and mice were placed in the center of the maze in which they were free to navigate for 90 sec. The percentage time in the correct quadrant was determined using Ethovision software (UK).
Irreversible hippocampal changes induced by high fructose diet in rats
Published in Nutritional Neuroscience, 2022
Juan Fierros-Campuzano, Paola Ballesteros-Zebadúa, Joaquín Manjarrez-Marmolejo, Penélope Aguilera, Mónica Méndez-Diaz, Oscar Prospero-García, Javier Franco-Pérez
Some reports have shown that drinking fructose caused significant memory deficits in the Morris water maze [12,13]. Unlike the aquatic paradigm, Barnes maze has advantages such as reducing water-related stress and allowing precise categorization of the navigation strategy [25]. According to Barnes [26], three strategies have been defined: serial, spatial, and random. The strategy employed is related to the spatial processing capacity and the integrity of the hippocampus. In this study, we reported that the elimination of fructose from the diet after twelve weeks of ingestion increased serial and decreased the proportion of spatial strategy. Similarly, it has been described that exposure to neurotoxic agents produced increases in serial and random strategies [27]. Interestingly, Fouquet et al. [28] showed that lesions of the dorsal hippocampus elicited learning and memory deficits, increasing the use of serial strategy. The navigation strategies can be grouped into two navigation systems: the allocentric (spatial strategy) using cues outside the organism and involving the hippocampus, and the egocentric (serial and random strategies) using internal cues and involving the dorsal striatum [29]. Therefore, our results indicate that fructose disrupts the allocentric system inhibiting the spatial strategy and suggests that, due to the hippocampal impairment, the rats have to elicit a compensatory mechanism increasing the use of egocentric strategies (serial) regulated by the dorsal striatum.
Young versus aged microbiota transplants to germ-free mice: increased short-chain fatty acids and improved cognitive performance
Published in Gut Microbes, 2020
Juneyoung Lee, Venugopal R. Venna, David J. Durgan, Huanan Shi, Jacob Hudobenko, Nagireddy Putluri, Joseph Petrosino, Louise D. McCullough, Robert M. Bryan
Barnes Maze test was performed on an elevated circular platform with 20 evenly spaced holes. One of the holes was equipped with an escape box, allowing each mouse to escape and hide in the darkness. The maze was illuminated with bright overhead lights served as an aversive stimulus to encourage the mouse to escape. All training and testing for both groups were performed by the same blinded investigator. All behavior was recorded on video and analyzed using Noldus EthoVision behavior software (Leesburg, Virginia). Mice received 3 training trials for 2 minutes each. If a mouse failed to find the escape hole during the training trials, it was gently guided to the escape hole. The training trial was followed by a test trial (3 minute duration). The time taken to reach the entry zone, defined as a 3-cm border around the escape hole, was measured. The escape hole location was unchanged throughout the training and testing trials in order to allow for the mice to learn its location by the visual cues suspended around the maze.