Running exercise effects on spatial and avoidance tasks in ovariectomized rats

• Published in: Neurobiology of learning and memory Vol. 94; no. 3; pp. 312 - 317
• Main Authors: Ben, Juliana, Soares, Flávia M.S., Scherer, Emilene B.S., Cechetti, Fernanda, Netto, Carlos Alexandre, Wyse, Angela T.S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Inc 01.10.2010; Elsevier; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Analysis of Variance; Animal behavior; Animal memory; Animals; Avoidance Learning - physiology; Behavioral psychophysiology; Biological and medical sciences; Cognitive ability; Exercise; Female; Females; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Inhibitory avoidance task; Maze Learning - physiology; Neurobiology; Ovariectomy; Physical Conditioning, Animal - physiology; Physical exercise; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Rodents; Running; Space Perception - physiology; Spatial Behavior - physiology; Water maze task; Physical exercise; Running; Water maze task; Ovariectomy; Inhibitory avoidance task; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Rat; Animal; Rodentia; Inhibition; Avoidance
• ISSN: 1074-7427; 1095-9564; 1095-9564
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2010.07.003

Since previous studies have shown that ovariectomy impairs memory and cognition, we investigated whether physical exercise would affect ovariectomy-induced memory deficits in inhibitory avoidance and Morris water maze tasks. Female adult Wistar rats were assigned to one of the following groups: sham (submitted to surgery without removal of the ovaries), exercise, ovariectomy (Ovx) and Ovx plus exercise. Thirty days after ovariectomy or sham surgery, animals were submitted to 1month of treadmill exercise training for 20min, three times per week. Rats were than tested in inhibitory avoidance and Morris water maze tasks in order to verify ovariectomy effects on aversive and spatial memory performance. Results show that ovariectomized rats were impaired in aversive memory and spatial navigation, both in reference and working memory protocols. Confirming the working hypothesis, ovariectomized rats submitted to exercise had those impairments prevented. These findings support that physical exercise might constitute an important strategy to minimize cognitive deficits found in post-menopausal women.