Hydrogen sulfide improves spatial memory impairment via increases of BDNF expression and hippocampal neurogenesis following early postnatal alcohol exposure

In this study, we aimed to evaluate the protective effects of hydrogen sulfide on alcohol-induced memory impairment, hippocampus neurogenesis and neuronal apoptosis in rat pups with postnatal ethanol exposure.Administration of ethanol to male rat pups was performed through intragastric intubation on postnatal days 2-10. The pups were administered 1 mg/kg of NaHS (H2S donor) on postnatal days 2-10. For examining the spatial memory, Morris water maze test was carried out 36 days after birth. Following the behavioral test, immunohistochemical staining was performed to evaluate the expression levels of BrdU, BDNF and Apoptotic cell death was detected by TUNEL staining.Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) treatment could significantly improve spatial memory impairment (P< 0.05) and significantly increase the expression of BrdU and BDNF in dentate gyrus area (P< 0.05). It also decreased positive TUNEL cells, compared with the ethanol group (P< 0.01).Based on the findings, H2S makes significant neuroprotective effects on Ethanol neurotoxicity due to its neurogenesis and anti-apoptotic activity.
Source: Physiology and Behavior - Category: Physiology Source Type: research