摘要
Deficits in spatial learning and memory are some of the earliest symptoms in mild cognitive impairment (MCI). However, there are few valid MCI animal models available to evaluate putative therapeutic strategies. The aim of this study was to obtain a natural animal model of MCI. Outbred Kunming (aged 5 and 12.5 months) and ICR (7 and 12 months) mice were utilized in the present study. Morris water maze and radial six-arm water maze (RAWM) were simultaneously used to evaluate impaired spatial learning and memory in middle-aged mice (approximately 12 months of age). Compared with younger mice in the respective groups, the middle-aged mice suffered visible impairment of spatial memory in the Morris water maze and RAWM, and mild spatial learning deficiency occurred in the RAWM study alone. Thus outbred Kunming and ICR mice could be utilized as a natural animal model for MCI, in particular for memory impairment studies.
Deficits in spatial learning and memory are some of the earliest symptoms in mild cognitive impairment (MCI). However, there are few valid MCI animal models available to evaluate putative therapeutic strategies. The aim of this study was to obtain a natural animal model of MCI. Outbred Kunming (aged 5 and 12.5 months) and ICR (7 and 12 months) mice were utilized in the present study. Morris water maze and radial six-arm water maze (RAWM) were simultaneously used to evaluate impaired spatial learning and memory in middle-aged mice (approximately 12 months of age). Compared with younger mice in the respective groups, the middle-aged mice suffered visible impairment of spatial memory in the Morris water maze and RAWM, and mild spatial learning deficiency occurred in the RAWM study alone. Thus outbred Kunming and ICR mice could be utilized as a natural animal model for MCI, in particular for memory impairment studies.
基金
the National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 30872730