Systemic and local administration of estradiol into the prefrontal cortex or hippocampus differentially alters working memory.

Full Abstract

The influence of estradiol on learning and memory is dependent on a number of factors. The effects of physiological levels of estradiol on the acquisition of a spatial working memory task mediated by the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and the hippocampus were examined in Experiment 1. Ovariectomized Long-Evans rats received daily injections of estradiol or vehicle were tested on the win-shift version of the radial arm maze. A high dose of estradiol benzoate (5 microg) enhanced acquisition of the task, whereas a low dose of estradiol (0.3 microg) increased the number of errors committed over 17 days of testing. Experiment 2 was conducted to examine site-specific influences of estradiol on spatial working memory in well-trained rats. Saline and estradiol cyclodextrin (0.1 and 0.9 microg) were infused into the prelimbic region of the PFC or dorsal hippocampus 40 min prior to testing on the win-shift task. Infusions of estradiol into both brain areas attenuated saline-infusion disruptions in working memory. Specifically, the higher dose of estradiol facilitated working memory when infused into the PFC, whereas the lower dose of estradiol facilitated performance when infused into the dorsal hippocampus. Moreover, working memory was significantly impaired 24 h after infusions of estradiol into the dorsal hippocampus but not the PFC. These data provide further evidence for the notion that estradiol can dose-dependently alter memory processes and suggest that facilitation or disruptions of working memory by estradiol are site- and time-specific.

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Author information

Author/s: Sinopoli, Katia J (KJ); Floresco, Stan B (SB); Galea, Liisa A M (LA);

Affiliation: Department of Psychology, The Program in Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Comparative Study; Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Neurobiology of learning and memory (Neurobiol Learn Mem), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2006-Nov; vol 86 (issue 3) : pp 293-304

Dates: Created 2006/10/02; Completed 2006/12/07; Revised 2007/10/17;

PMID: 16730465, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Analysis of Variance
Animals
Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
Drug Administration Schedule
Estradiol - administration & dosage; physiology
Female
Hippocampus - drug effects; physiology
Maze Learning - drug effects; physiology

Memory, Short-Term - drug effects; physiology
Microinjections
Prefrontal Cortex - drug effects; physiology
Rats
Rats, Long-Evans
Space Perception - drug effects; physiology
Statistics, Nonparametric
Time Factors

Associated Chemicals: Estradiol (50-28-2)

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