Caloric restriction provided after global ischemia does not reduce hippocampal cornu ammonis injury or improve functional recovery

• Published in: Neuroscience 2010-03, Vol.166 (1), p.263-270
• Main Authors: McEwen, B.R, Paterson, P.G
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; brain ischemia; Brain Ischemia - metabolism; Brain Ischemia - physiopathology; Brain Ischemia - therapy; CA1 Region, Hippocampal - metabolism; CA1 Region, Hippocampal - pathology; CA1 Region, Hippocampal - physiopathology; Caloric Restriction - methods; Cell Count; Cognition Disorders - metabolism; Cognition Disorders - pathology; Cognition Disorders - physiopathology; Disease Models, Animal; Eating - physiology; Energy Metabolism - physiology; Food Deprivation - physiology; food restriction; Food, Formulated; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; gerbil; Gerbillinae; Learning Disorders - metabolism; Learning Disorders - pathology; Learning Disorders - physiopathology; Male; Medical sciences; Meriones unguiculatus; Nerve Degeneration - physiopathology; Nerve Degeneration - prevention & control; Nerve Degeneration - therapy; Neurology; Neurons - metabolism; Neurons - pathology; nutrition; open field; Recovery of Function - physiology; Vascular diseases and vascular malformations of the nervous system; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs
• ISSN: 0306-4522; 1873-7544
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2009.11.076

Abstract Since caloric restriction (CR) can modify multiple pathways central to the ischemic cascade and enhance neuroplasticity mechanisms, we hypothesized that CR should exert protective effects following brain ischemia. Previous studies have suggested benefit when CR was administered prior to ischemia. We investigated whether prolonged CR beginning after global ischemia would result in lasting protection as assessed by performance in the open field, as a measure of functional outcome, and hippocampal CA1 neuronal counts. Adult, male Mongolian gerbils were subjected to 5 min bilateral carotid artery occlusion (ISCH) or sham surgery (SHAM) with tympanic temperature maintained at 36.5±0.2 °C during the intra-ischemic period. After screening out gerbils with incomplete ischemia, each of the two surgical groups were randomly assigned to control diet (CON) or 30% CR for the duration of the study (60 d). Gerbils were tested in the open field on d3, 7, 10, 30 and 60. ISCH-CON animals showed a significantly higher level of activity in the open field (impaired habituation) compared to SHAM-CON gerbils on all test days ( P