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Assessment of Respiratory Function in Conscious Mice by Double-chamber Plethysmography
Published on: July 10, 2018
Chronic asthma results in cognitive dysfunction in immature mice
Ruo-Bing Guo1, Pei-Li Sun, An-Peng Zhao
1Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neurodegeneration, Department of Pharmacology, Nanjing Medical University, 140 Hanzhong Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210029, China.
Experimental Neurology
|May 4, 2013
Summary
Chronic asthma in children can harm cognitive function. This study shows asthma-induced hypoxia impairs learning and memory, suggesting a need for clinical attention to brain health in asthmatic children.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pediatrics
- Respiratory Medicine
Background:
- Asthma is a prevalent chronic childhood illness.
- The impact of chronic asthma-induced hypoxia on pediatric cognitive function is understudied.
- Hypoxia associated with asthma may affect brain development and function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of chronic asthma and intermittent hypoxia on cognitive function in immature mice.
- To explore the underlying mechanisms of asthma-induced cognitive impairment, including synaptic plasticity and gene expression.
- To evaluate the efficacy of budesonide treatment in mitigating cognitive deficits.
Main Methods:
- Established an ovalbumin-induced chronic asthma model in immature mice.
- Assessed learning and memory using the Morris Water Maze test.
- Examined synaptic structure and long-term potentiation (LTP) in hippocampal slices.
- Analyzed the expression of c-fos, Arc, and neurogenesis markers.
Main Results:
- Chronic asthma significantly impaired learning and memory in mice.
- Asthma led to synaptic structure destruction and reduced LTP maintenance in the CA1 hippocampal region.
- Intermittent hypoxia downregulated c-fos, Arc, and neurogenesis, correlating with cognitive deficits.
- Budesonide treatment alone did not fully reverse the cognitive impairment.
Conclusions:
- Chronic asthma-induced hypoxia can lead to cognitive dysfunction in developing brains.
- Synaptic plasticity and neurogenesis are critical pathways affected by asthma-related hypoxia.
- Current budesonide treatment may be insufficient for addressing asthma-related cognitive impairment.
- Further clinical research is warranted to address brain damage in children with chronic asthma.
Keywords:
AsthmaBALFChildrenDGG protein-coupled receptor 124GAPDHGPR124HEHFSHIF-1αIEGLTPLearning and memoryMWMMorris Water MazePFASynaptic plasticityVEGFbronchial alveolar lavage fluiddentate gyrusfEPSPfield excitatory postsynaptic potentialglyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenasehematoxylin and eosinhigh-frequency stimulationhypoxia induced factor 1αimmediate early genelong-term potentiationparaformaldehydevascular endothelial growth factor
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