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Memory Decline of Aging Reduced by Extracellular Superoxide Dismutase Overexpression

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Abstract

Extracellular superoxide dismutase (EC-SOD) plays an important role in controlling oxidative stress as well as intercellular signaling. In the current study, we tested the effect of EC-SOD overexpression over the lifespan of a set of mice and their wild-type controls to determine the time scale over which EC-SOD overexpression might attenuate aging-induced memory impairment. Mice with overexpression of EC-SOD and wild-type controls were initially trained on the radial-arm maze as young adults (3–5 months) and then retrained during middle age (12–14 months) and retested in old age at 27 and 30 months. There was little EC-SOD effect during the young adult middle age periods. EC-SOD overexpression prevented the decline in choice accuracy when the mice were 27–30 months of age. The EC-SOD overexpressing mice maintained their performance, while the wild-type mice declined to naïve levels of performance by 30 months of age. Enhancement of EC-SOD activity appears to improve memory performance specifically in aging mice. EC-SOD mimetic treatment during the course of aging may hold promise for aging-induced cognitive impairment.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA

    Edward D. Levin & N. Channelle Christopher

  2. National Jewish Medical and Research Center, Denver, CO, USA

    James D. Crapo

  3. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Box #3412, Durham, NC, 27710, USA

    Edward D. Levin

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  1. Edward D. Levin
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  2. N. Channelle Christopher
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  3. James D. Crapo
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Correspondence to Edward D. Levin.

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Levin, E.D., Christopher, N.C. & Crapo, J.D. Memory Decline of Aging Reduced by Extracellular Superoxide Dismutase Overexpression. Behav Genet 35, 447–453 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10519-004-1510-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10519-004-1510-y

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