Glutathione depletion in the brain disrupts short-term spatial memory in the Y-maze in rats and mice

Behav Brain Res. 2009 Mar 2;198(1):258-62. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2008.11.017. Epub 2008 Nov 18.

Abstract

Oxidative stress and reduced brain glutathione (GSH) levels have been reported in psychiatric illnesses including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. However the role of GSH in cognitive impairment in the illness remains unclear. Treatment of Sprague-Dawley rats and C57Bl/6 mice with 2-cyclohexene-1-one (CHX) dose-dependently reduced striatal and frontal cortical GSH levels similar to those in schizophrenia. In both species, GSH depletion resulted in disruption of short-term spatial recognition memory in a Y-maze test. In conclusion, GSH depletion induces cognitive impairment, which may be relevant to the role of GSH in psychiatric illnesses.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Analysis of Variance
  • Animals
  • Brain / drug effects
  • Brain / metabolism*
  • Cognition / drug effects
  • Cognition / physiology*
  • Corpus Striatum / drug effects
  • Corpus Striatum / metabolism
  • Cyclohexenes / administration & dosage
  • Cyclohexenes / toxicity
  • Exploratory Behavior / drug effects
  • Exploratory Behavior / physiology
  • Frontal Lobe / drug effects
  • Frontal Lobe / metabolism
  • Glutathione / deficiency*
  • Glutathione / physiology
  • Injections, Intraperitoneal
  • Liver / drug effects
  • Liver / metabolism
  • Male
  • Maze Learning / drug effects
  • Maze Learning / physiology*
  • Memory / drug effects
  • Memory / physiology*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Space Perception / drug effects
  • Space Perception / physiology
  • Spatial Behavior / drug effects
  • Spatial Behavior / physiology*

Substances

  • Cyclohexenes
  • Glutathione