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Corticosterone effects on BDNF expression in the hippocampus. Implications for memory formation.

M J Schaaf1, E R De Kloet, E Vreugdenhil

  • 1Leiden/Amsterdam Center for Drug Research, Division of Medical Pharmacology, Sylvius Laboratories, P.O. Box 9503, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands.

Stress (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
|August 12, 2000
PubMed
Summary

Corticosterone impacts memory by altering hippocampal Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) expression. During memory tasks, BDNF resistance to corticosterone may enhance memory performance.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Endocrinology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Adrenal steroid corticosterone influences hippocampal structure and function, modulating memory formation.
  • Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) is a key neurotrophin implicated in learning and memory processes within the hippocampus.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether corticosterone's effects on memory are mediated by changes in hippocampal BDNF expression.
  • To explore the mechanism by which corticosterone influences BDNF expression in the hippocampus.

Main Methods:

  • Review of studies examining corticosterone's impact on BDNF mRNA and protein levels in rat hippocampus.
  • Analysis of BDNF expression patterns during water maze training in relation to corticosterone levels and memory performance.

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Main Results:

  • Corticosterone suppresses hippocampal BDNF expression in a subfield-specific manner at both mRNA and protein levels.
  • A proposed mechanism involves activated mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid receptors repressing BDNF promoter activity.
  • During water maze training, BDNF expression in the hippocampus is resistant to corticosterone suppression and correlates with memory performance.

Conclusions:

  • Hippocampal BDNF expression is modulated by corticosterone, potentially through receptor-mediated transcriptional repression.
  • The observed resistance of hippocampal BDNF to corticosterone during learning may be crucial for optimal memory consolidation and performance.