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Olanzapine attenuates postoperative cognitive dysfunction in adult rats
Keitaro Tachi1, Taeko Fukuda2,3, Makoto Tanaka2
1Department of Anesthesiology, University of Tsukuba Hospital, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
Heliyon
|March 4, 2021
Summary
Olanzapine improved spatial memory and reduced brain inflammation in a rat model of postoperative cognitive dysfunction. The drug
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) affects quality of life, particularly in middle-aged individuals.
- Neuroinflammation is a primary driver of POCD.
- Olanzapine demonstrates potential in enhancing learning and memory.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficacy of olanzapine in an adult rat model of POCD.
- To explore the underlying mechanisms of olanzapine's effects on neuroinflammation.
Main Methods:
- Adult rats were subjected to surgery and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection, with or without olanzapine.
- Cognitive function was assessed using the Barnes maze test.
- Microglial activity (Iba1 staining) and cytokine levels (ELISA) in the hippocampus were measured.
Main Results:
- Olanzapine treatment significantly improved spatial memory success rates compared to LPS injection alone.
- While olanzapine reduced microglial activation, it did not alter plasma or hippocampal inflammatory cytokine levels.
- Cognitive performance in olanzapine-treated rats was partially restored but did not reach control levels.
Conclusions:
- Olanzapine effectively mitigates spatial cognitive deficits and hippocampal microglial activity induced by surgery and LPS.
- The therapeutic effects of olanzapine appear independent of changes in systemic or hippocampal inflammatory cytokine concentrations.
