Enhancement of memory consolidation by the histone deacetylase inhibitor sodium butyrate in aged rats

Martina Blank; Aline Werenicz; Luciana Azevedo Velho; Diana F Pinto; Ana Cláudia Fedi; Mark William Lopes; Tanara Vieira Peres; Rodrigo Bainy Leal; Arethuza S Dornelles; Rafael Roesler

doi:10.1016/j.neulet.2015.03.059

Enhancement of memory consolidation by the histone deacetylase inhibitor sodium butyrate in aged rats

Neurosci Lett. 2015 May 6:594:76-81. doi: 10.1016/j.neulet.2015.03.059. Epub 2015 Mar 30.

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pharmacology, Institute for Basic Health Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul 90050-170 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Cancer and Neurobiology Laboratory, University Hospital Experimental Research Center (CPE-HCPA), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul 90035-003 Porto Alegre, Brazil; National Institute for Translational Medicine (INCT-TM), 90035-003 Porto Alegre, Brazil. Electronic address: martina.blank@ufsc.br.
² Department of Pharmacology, Institute for Basic Health Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul 90050-170 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; National Institute for Translational Medicine (INCT-TM), 90035-003 Porto Alegre, Brazil.
³ Department of Pharmacology, Institute for Basic Health Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul 90050-170 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
⁴ Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Catarina, 88040-900 Florianópolis, Brazil.
⁵ Department of Pharmacology, Institute for Basic Health Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul 90050-170 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Cancer and Neurobiology Laboratory, University Hospital Experimental Research Center (CPE-HCPA), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul 90035-003 Porto Alegre, Brazil; National Institute for Translational Medicine (INCT-TM), 90035-003 Porto Alegre, Brazil.

PMID: 25837444
DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2015.03.059

Abstract

Here we show that a systemic injection of the histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi) sodium butyrate (NaB) immediately after training in a step-down inhibitory avoidance task produced an enhancement of memory consolidation that persisted across consecutive retention tests during 14 days in aged rats, while it did not significantly affect memory in young adults. Control aged and young adult rats showed comparable basal levels of memory retention. Our results suggest that HDACis can display memory-enhancing effects specific for aged animals, even in the absence of age-related memory impairment.

Keywords: Epigenetics; Histone deacetylase; Inhibitory avoidance; Memory consolidation; Sodium butyrate.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Aging / psychology*
Animals
Avoidance Learning / drug effects
Butyric Acid / pharmacology*
Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors / pharmacology*
Male
Memory / drug effects*
Rats, Wistar

Substances

Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors
Butyric Acid