Adrenergic receptor β3 is involved in the memory consolidation process in mice.

Adrenergic receptor β3 is involved in the memory consolidation process in mice. Braz J Med Biol Res. 2018 Aug 06;51(10):e7564 Authors: Souza-Braga P, Lorena FB, Nascimento BPP, Marcelino CP, Ravache TT, Ricci E, Bernardi MM, Ribeiro MO Abstract Attention and emotion have a positive impact on memory formation, which is related to the activation of the noradrenergic system in the brain. The hippocampus and amygdala are fundamental structures in memory acquisition, which is modulated by noradrenaline through the noradrenergic receptors. Pharmacological studies suggest that memory acquisition depends on the action of both the β3 (β3-AR) and β2 (β2-AR) receptor subtypes. However, the use of animal models with specific knockout for the β3-AR receptor only (β3-ARKO) allows researchers to more accurately assess its role in memory formation processes. In the present study, we evaluated short- and long-term memory acquisition capacity in β3-ARKO mice and wild-type mice at approximately 60 days of age. The animals were submitted to the open field test, the elevated plus maze, object recognition, and social preference. The results showed that the absence of the β3-AR receptor caused no impairment in locomotion and did not cause anxious behavior, but it caused significant impairment of short- and long-term memory compared to wild-type animals. We also evaluated the expression of genes involved in memory consolidation. The mRNA levels for...
Source: Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research - Category: Research Tags: Braz J Med Biol Res Source Type: research