Long-term administration of excess zinc impairs learning and memory in aged mice

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  • Yoshida Kaoru
    Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Doshisha Women’s College of Liberal Arts
  • Gi Min
    Department of Molecular Pathology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine Current address: Department of Environmental Risk Assessment, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine
  • Fujioka Masaki
    Department of Molecular Pathology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine
  • Teramoto Isao
    Department of Parasitology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine
  • Wanibuchi Hideki
    Department of Molecular Pathology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine

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Abstract

<p>Zinc (Zn) is an essential element, but excess amounts are known to cause neurotoxic effects. The risk of excessive Zn intake is increased by supplementing food intake with dietary supplements. Ageing affects many cellular processes that predispose individuals to neurodegeneration. Indeed, the prevalence of senile dementia such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and vascular-type dementia increases with age. As such, we investigated the effects of long-term exposure to excess Zn on learning and memory in aged mice. ICR-JCL female mice (aged 26 weeks) were administered 0, 200, or 500 ppm Zn as zinc chloride in drinking water for 30 weeks. After 30-week administration, aged female animals were subjected to Y-maze, novel object recognition, and step-through passive avoidance tests. Chronic exposure to Zn did not inhibit learning and memory in the Y-maze test, but dose-dependently inhibited learning and memory in novel object recognition and step-through passive avoidance tests. These results indicate the potential for chronic Zn exposure to dose-dependently inhibit both long-term and novel object recognition memory. Results of microarray analysis revealed significant changes in gene expression of transthyretin and many olfactory receptors in the hippocampus of Zn-treated mice.</p>

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