Astrocytic glutamate transport is essential for the memory-enhancing effects of 17β-estradiol in ovariectomized mice

Infusion of 17β-estradiol (E₂) into the dorsal hippocampus (DH) of ovariectomized (OVX) mice enhances memory consolidation, an effect that depends on rapid phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and Akt. Astrocytic glutamate transporter 1 (GLT-1) modulates neurotransmission via glutamate uptake from the synaptic cleft. However, little is known about the contribution of DH astrocytes, and astrocytic glutamate transport, to the memory-enhancing effects of E₂. This study was designed to test whether DH astrocytes contribute to estrogenic modulation of memory consolidation by determining the extent to which DH GLT-1 is necessary for E₂ to enhance memory in object recognition and object placement tasks and trigger rapid phosphorylation events in DH astrocytes. OVX female mice were bilaterally cannulated into the DH or the DH and dorsal third ventricle (ICV). Post-training DH infusion of the GLT-1 inhibitor dihydrokainic acid (DHK) dose-dependently impaired memory consolidation in both tasks. Moreover, the memory-enhancing effects of ICV-infused E₂ in each task were blocked by DH DHK infusion. E₂ increased p42 ERK and Akt phosphorylation in DH astrocytes, and these effects were blocked by DHK. Results suggest the necessity of DH GLT-1 activity for object and spatial memory consolidation, and for E₂ to enhance consolidation of these memories and to rapidly activate cell signaling in DH astrocytes. Findings indicate that astrocytic function in the DH of OVX females is necessary for memory formation and is regulated by E_2, and suggest an essential role for DH astrocytic GLT-1 activity in the memory-enhancing effects of E₂.