Combination of fMRI and PET reveals the beneficial effect of three-phase enriched environment on post-stroke memory deficits by enhancing plasticity of brain connectivity between hippocampus and peri-hippocampal cortex

© 2023 The Authors. CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd..

AIM: The three-phase enriched environment (EE) intervention paradigm has been shown to improve learning and memory function after cerebral ischemia, but the neuronal mechanisms are still unclear. This study aimed to investigate the hippocampal-cortical connectivity and the metabolic interactions between neurons and astrocytes to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of EE-induced memory improvement after stroke.

METHODS: Rats were subjected to permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAO) or sham surgery and housed in standard environment or EE for 30 days. Memory function was examined by Morris water maze (MWM) test. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was conducted to detect the structural and functional changes. [18 F]-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) was conducted to detect brain energy metabolism. PET-based brain connectivity and network analysis was performed to study the changes of hippocampal-cortical connectivity. Astrocyte-neuron metabolic coupling, including gap junction protein connexin 43 (Cx43), glucose transporters (GLUTs), and monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs), was detected by histological studies.

RESULTS: Our results showed EE promoted memory function improvement, protected structure integrity, and benefited energy metabolism after stroke. More importantly, EE intervention significantly increased functional connectivity between the hippocampus and peri-hippocampal cortical regions, and specifically regulated the level of Cx43, GLUTs and MCTs in the hippocampus and cortex.

CONCLUSIONS: Our results revealed the three-phase enriched environment paradigm enhanced hippocampal-cortical connectivity plasticity and ameliorated post-stroke memory deficits. These findings might provide some new clues for the development of EE and thus facilitate the clinical transformation of EE.

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2024

Erschienen:

2024

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:30

Enthalten in:

CNS neuroscience & therapeutics - 30(2024), 3 vom: 04. März, Seite e14466

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Lu, Yun [VerfasserIn]
Li, Mingcong [VerfasserIn]
Zhuang, Yuming [VerfasserIn]
Lin, Ziyue [VerfasserIn]
Nie, Binbin [VerfasserIn]
Lei, Jianfeng [VerfasserIn]
Zhao, Yuanyuan [VerfasserIn]
Zhao, Hui [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext

Themen:

Astrocyte-neuron metabolic interaction
Connexin 43
Enriched environment
Functional connectivity
Journal Article
Learning and memory
MRI
PET
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Anmerkungen:

Date Completed 07.03.2024

Date Revised 18.04.2024

published: Print-Electronic

Citation Status MEDLINE

doi:

10.1111/cns.14466

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

NLM362492115