ZnT3经由ERK通路影响老年小鼠认知能力

ZnT3 affects cognitive ability of aging mice through ERK pathway

目的探讨ZnT3表达变化对老龄小鼠认知能力的影响。方法选取2月龄和20月龄C57BL/6J小鼠,各12只。通过Morris水迷宫实验检测小鼠的学习记忆能力;应用免疫组织化学染色和体视学方法检测青年小鼠和老年小鼠脑组织中ZnT3表达差异;应用免疫印迹技术检测青年小鼠和老年小鼠海马中ZnT3和P-ERK、ERK蛋白含量变化。结果Morris水迷宫实验表明老年小鼠学习记忆能力下降明显。免疫组织化学染色结果显示ZnT3表达于小鼠海马神经元胞质,体视学测量结果表明老年小鼠海马CA1区、CA3区和齿状回区域ZnT3的表达均弱于青年小鼠。免疫印迹结果表明老年小鼠海马组织中Zn T3蛋白表达明显少于青年小鼠,P-ERK/ERK比值低于青年小鼠。结论ZnT3影响老年小鼠认知能力,其机制可能与ERK蛋白激酶通路有关。

Objective To explore the effect of ZnT3 on the cognitive ability of aging mice.Methods Two-month-old and twenty-month-old C57BL/6 J mice were used for experiment(n=12).A Morris water maze experiment was performed to test the learning and memory ability of mice.The expression difference of ZnT3 in brain tissues of young and old mice was detected by immunohistochemical staining and stereology.Western blot was used to measure the protein levels of ZnT3,P-ERK and ERK in hippocampus of young and old mice.Results The Morris water maze experiment showed that the learning and memory ability of aging mice significantly declined.Immunohistochemical staining showed that ZnT3 was expressed in the cytoplasm of hippocampal neurons.The results of stereology measurement indicated that the expression of ZnT3 in hippocampus CA1,CA3 and dentate gyrus of aged mice was weaker than that of young mice.The Western blot results confirmed that the protein level of ZnT3 in hippocampus of aged mice was significantly lower compared with young mice,so was the ratio of P-ERK/ERK.Conclusions ZnT3 affects the cognitive ability of aged mice,and its mechanism may be related to the ERK pathway.