Estradiol to aged female or male mice improves learning in inhibitory avoidance and water maze tasks

Although 17beta-Estradiol (E2) improves cognitive performance of aged female mice, its mnemonic effects when administered post-training to aged male mice have not been examined. E2 (10 microg, SC) or oil vehicle was administered to intact, 24-month-old female or male congenic (primarily C57BL/6 background) mice immediately after training in the inhibitory avoidance or water maze tasks. Following behavioral testing, effects of 1 or 24 h of E2 exposure on hippocampal levels of E2 and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were examined. Female and male mice administered E2 showed significantly better performance in the inhibitory avoidance task than did vehicle-administered mice. When tested 24 h after training, mice that received E2 had significantly longer latencies to cross-over to the shock-associated side of the chamber than did vehicle-administered mice. Female or male mice administered E2 showed significantly better performance in the reference memory aspect of the spatial water maze task. When tested 30 min after training, mice administered E2 had shorter latencies to, and spent longer swimming in, the quadrant that the hidden platform had previously been located in. E2 administration produced physiological levels of E2 in the hippocampus 1 and 24 h after E2. BDNF levels in the hippocampus were decreased following 1 h of E2 exposure compared to vehicle. These findings suggest that E2 to female and male mice may overcome age-related deficits in reference memory in an emotional or spatial learning task.