Data set for Prelimbic cortical stimulation improves spatial memory through distinct patterns of hippocampal gene expression in aged rats

Dementia poses major health challenges worldwide, yet current treatments are faced with issues of efficacy and toxicity. Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) is a promising non-pharmacological treatment for dementia, but most DBS studies have used young healthy animals, which may not be aetiologically relevant. In this study, we focused on an aged rat model in which cognitive decline occurs through a natural ageing process. We used a Morris Water Maze to determine the effects of prelimbic cortex (PrL) DBS on memory. For underlying mechanisms of DBS effects, we then carried out microarray. We showed that DBS of the prelimbic cortex (PrL) improved performance in the Morris Water Maze and is related to distinct patterns of changed gene expression, with G-protein-coupled receptor pathways playing a central role. Our results suggest that non-neurogenesis pathways play a role in the effects of DBS. Further studies are needed to investigate the effects of DBS on memory beyond neurogenesis and consider the highlighted pathways suggested by our data.痴呆症在全球范围内构成重大健康挑战，而现有治疗手段均面临疗效与毒性相关的问题。脑深部电刺激（Deep Brain Stimulation, DBS）是一种颇具前景的痴呆非药物治疗手段，但绝大多数DBS相关研究均以年轻健康动物为模型，这类模型可能与疾病的病因学机制并不相关。本研究聚焦于通过自然衰老过程出现认知衰退的老年大鼠模型。我们采用莫里斯水迷宫（Morris Water Maze）范式，探究前边缘皮层（prelimbic cortex, PrL）的DBS对记忆功能的影响。为探究DBS发挥作用的潜在机制，我们随后开展了基因芯片（microarray）检测。研究结果显示，对前边缘皮层（PrL）进行DBS可改善莫里斯水迷宫范式中的大鼠表现，且该效果与独特的基因表达改变模式相关，其中G蛋白偶联受体（G-protein-coupled receptor）通路发挥核心调控作用。本研究结果提示，非神经发生通路在DBS的作用机制中扮演重要角色。未来仍需开展进一步研究，以探究DBS对记忆的非神经发生相关调控效应，并验证本研究数据所揭示的核心通路。