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Related Concept Videos

Long-term Potentiation01:35

Long-term Potentiation

Long-term potentiation, or LTP, is one of the ways by which synaptic plasticity—changes in the strength of chemical synapses—can occur in the brain. LTP is the process of synaptic strengthening that occurs over time between pre- and postsynaptic neuronal connections. The synaptic strengthening of LTP works in opposition to the synaptic weakening of long-term depression (LTD) and together are the main mechanisms that underlie learning and memory.
Long-term Potentiation01:25

Long-term Potentiation

Long-term potentiation, or LTP, is one of the ways by which synaptic plasticity—changes in the strength of chemical synapses—can occur in the brain. LTP is the process of synaptic strengthening that occurs over time between pre and postsynaptic neuronal connections. The synaptic strengthening of LTP works in opposition to the synaptic weakening of long-term depression (LTD) and together are the main mechanisms that underlie learning and memory.
Hebbian LTP
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Moderate Prenatal Alcohol Exposure and Quantification of Social Behavior in Adult Rats
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Paternal preconception donepezil exposure enhances learning in offspring.

Guangyuan Fan1, Tao Pan1, Xingyu Ji1

  • 1School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.

Behavioral and Brain Functions : BBF
|September 28, 2024
PubMed
Summary

Paternal use of donepezil, a cognition-enhancing drug, may improve offspring learning and memory. This study in rats suggests potential benefits through nonneural pathways, warranting further investigation.

Keywords:
Cross-generational inheritanceDonepezilShort-term memory

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Pharmacology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Parental use of CNS-targeting medications can impact offspring development.
  • Donepezil, a cholinesterase inhibitor, enhances cognition.
  • The influence of paternal donepezil exposure on offspring is unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effects of paternal donepezil administration on offspring learning and memory.
  • To explore potential molecular mechanisms underlying these effects.

Main Methods:

  • Male rats received oral donepezil (4 mg/kg) for 21 days before breeding.
  • Offspring (F1 generation) were assessed using behavioral tests (novel object recognition, Y maze, operant learning).
  • Transcriptomic analysis of hippocampal tissue was performed.

Main Results:

  • Paternal donepezil exposure enhanced learning and short-term memory in both male and female F1 offspring.
  • Transcriptomic analysis revealed alterations in extracellular matrix-associated genes in the F1 hippocampus.
  • Potential core genes linking to intelligence were identified.

Conclusions:

  • Paternal donepezil exposure may enhance offspring cognitive abilities.
  • The mechanism may involve nonneural, extracellular targets in the brain.
  • Further research is needed to confirm transgenerational effects.