Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 9, 2026

Fat Preference: A Novel Model of Eating Behavior in Rats

Fat Preference: A Novel Model of Eating Behavior in Rats

Published on: June 27, 2014

Postpubertal feeding experience affects sex-specific spatial ability in rats.

Kenkichi Takase¹, Dai Mitsushima, Toshiya Funabashi

¹Department of Physiology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-9 Fukuura Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan.

Physiology & Behavior

|November 27, 2007

Summary

Powdered diets fed after 6 weeks of age enhance spatial learning and acetylcholine release in female rats, potentially explaining sex differences in cognitive abilities. This dietary intervention impacts brain function and behavior.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Increasing loneliness in Japan, 1983-2023: a cross-temporal meta-analysis.

Frontiers in psychology·2026

Same author

"I was Truly Able to Express the Image of Myself that I have within": Exploring VR Group Therapy Approaches with the LGBTQIA+ Community.

IEEE transactions on visualization and computer graphics·2025

Same author

Traditional Gender Role Attitudes and Job-Hunting in Relation to Well-Being: A Cross-Sectional Study of Japanese Women in Emerging Adulthood.

International journal of environmental research and public health·2025

Same author

Phosphorylation of GABA<sub>A</sub> receptor β<sub>3</sub> subunit at Ser<sup>408-409</sup> is essential for contextual learning at hippocampal CA1 synapses.

Scientific reports·2025

Same author

Shorter Infantile Amnesia in Females: Important Implications for the Next Generation.

Cells·2025

Same author

Adverse Effects of Aβ<sub>1-42</sub> Oligomers: Impaired Contextual Memory and Altered Intrinsic Properties of CA1 Pyramidal Neurons.

Biomolecules·2024

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Behavioral Science
Nutritional Science

Background:

Sex differences exist in spatial learning abilities in rats, with males typically outperforming females.
Acetylcholine (ACh) release in the hippocampus is crucial for spatial memory and exhibits diurnal variations.
Previous research indicated powdered diet post-weaning enhanced spatial ability and ACh release in female rats.

Purpose of the Study:

To determine the critical timing of dietary intervention for influencing sex differences in spatial ability.
To investigate the impact of diet on acetylcholine (ACh) release in the dorsal hippocampus across sexes.
To elucidate the relationship between diet, sex, and hippocampal ACh dynamics in cognitive performance.

Main Methods:

Radial 8-arm maze task to assess spatial learning and memory in male and female rats.

More Related Videos

Barnes Maze Testing Strategies with Small and Large Rodent Models

Barnes Maze Testing Strategies with Small and Large Rodent Models

Published on: February 26, 2014

Investigating Motor Skill Learning Processes with a Robotic Manipulandum

Investigating Motor Skill Learning Processes with a Robotic Manipulandum

Published on: February 12, 2017

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 9, 2026

Fat Preference: A Novel Model of Eating Behavior in Rats

Fat Preference: A Novel Model of Eating Behavior in Rats

Published on: June 27, 2014

Barnes Maze Testing Strategies with Small and Large Rodent Models

Barnes Maze Testing Strategies with Small and Large Rodent Models

Published on: February 26, 2014

Investigating Motor Skill Learning Processes with a Robotic Manipulandum

Investigating Motor Skill Learning Processes with a Robotic Manipulandum

Published on: February 12, 2017

In vivo microdialysis to measure acetylcholine (ACh) release in the dorsal hippocampus.

Comparison of rats fed standard pelleted diet versus powdered diet initiated after 6 weeks of age.

Main Results:

Male rats learned the maze faster and exhibited higher hippocampal ACh release than females on a standard diet.
Feeding a powdered diet after 6 weeks of age eliminated sex differences in maze performance.
Powdered diet significantly increased hippocampal ACh release in females, normalizing it relative to males.

Conclusions:

Dietary conditions after 6 weeks of age are critical in modulating sex differences in spatial ability.
The observed changes in spatial performance are associated with diet-induced alterations in hippocampal acetylcholine (ACh) release.
Nutritional interventions may offer a pathway to influence sex-specific cognitive functions and neurochemical profiles.