Altered pattern separation in Goto-Kakizaki rats

Type 2 diabetes mellitus has steadily increased in prevalence over the past five decades. Among the health risks associated with this disorder are cognitive decline and are increased risk of developing dementia. To further investigate the link between diabetes and cognition, here we test memory performance and hippocampal function in the Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rat, a robust model of diabetes. Relative to age-matched Wistar rats, GK rats show impairments in a conjunctive memory task that requires discriminating objects not only on the basis of their physical characteristics, but also on the basis of where and when they were last seen. Concomitant to these deficits are changes in the pattern of expression of Egr1 (an immediate-early gene critical for memory) in dentate gyrus granule cells, consistent with dentate hypoactivity leading to unstable hippocampal representations. These data support the hypothesis that diabetes confers a phenotype of accelerated senescence on the hippocampus, and help to link this disorder with changes in hippocampal circuits.