Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 19, 2025

Preparation of Acute Hippocampal Slices from Rats and Transgenic Mice for the Study of Synaptic Alterations during Aging and Amyloid Pathology
Published on: March 23, 2011
Hippocampal synaptic plasticity injury mediated by SIRT1 downregulation is involved in chronic pain-related cognitive
Yanping Liu1, Qiang Liu1, Haibi Wang1
1Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology/NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China.
Aims:
Cognitive dysfunction associated with chronic pain may be caused by impaired synaptic plasticity. Considering the impact of silent information regulator 1 (SIRT1) on synaptic plasticity, we explored the exact role of SIRT1 in cognitive impairment caused by chronic pain.
Methods:
We evaluated the memory ability of mice with the fear conditioning test (FCT) after spared nerve injury (SNI) model. Western blotting and immunofluorescence were used to analyze the expression levels of SIRT1. Hippocampal synaptic plasticity was detected with Golgi staining, transmission electron microscopy, and long-term potentiation (LTP). In the intervention study, AAV9-CaMKIIα-Cre-EGFP was injected to SIRT1flox/flox mice to knockdown the expression levels of SIRT1. Besides, SNI mice were injected with AAV2/9-CaMKIIα-SIRT1-3*Flag-GFP or SRT1720 to increase the expression levels or enzymatic activity of SIRT1.
Results:
Our current results indicated that cognitive function in SNI mice was impaired, SIRT1 expression in glutaminergic neurons in the hippocampal CA1 area was downregulated, and synaptic plasticity was altered. Selective knockdown of SIRT1 in hippocampus damaged synaptic plasticity and cognitive function of healthy mice. In addition, the impaired synaptic plasticity and cognitive dysfunction of SNI mice could be improved by the upregulation of SIRT1 expression or enzyme activity.
Conclusions:
Reduced SIRT1 expression in hippocampus of SNI mice may induce cognitive impairment associated with chronic pain by mediating the impaired synaptic plasticity.
Related Concept Videos
Long-term Depression
Calcium Ion Concentration Mechanism
If over...
Role of Hippocampus in Memory
Analgesia and Pain Management
Nociception

