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Folic Acid Prevents Behavioral Impairment and Na+,K+-ATPase Inhibition Caused by Neonatal Hypoxia–Ischemia

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Abstract

Folic acid plays an important role in neuroplasticity and acts as a neuroprotective agent, as observed in experimental brain ischemia studies. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of folic acid on locomotor activity, aversive memory and Na+,K+-ATPase activity in the frontal cortex and striatum in animals subjected to neonatal hypoxia–ischemia (HI). Wistar rats of both sexes at postnatal day 7 underwent HI procedure and were treated with intraperitoneal injections of folic acid (0.011 μmol/g body weight) once a day, until the 30th postnatal day. Starting on the day after, behavioral assessment was run in the open field and in the inhibitory avoidance task. Animals were sacrificed by decapitation 24 h after testing and striatum and frontal cortex were dissected out for Na+,K+-ATPase activity analysis. Results show anxiogenic effect in the open field and an impairment of aversive memory in the inhibitory avoidance test in HI rats; folic acid treatment prevented both behavioral effects. A decreased Na+,K+-ATPase activity in striatum, both ipsilateral and contralateral to ischemia, was identified after HI; a total recovery was observed in animals treated with folic acid. A partial recovery of Na+,K+-ATPase activity was yet seen in frontal cortex of HI animals receiving folic acid supplementation. Presented results support that folic acid treatment prevents memory deficit and anxiety-like behavior, as well as prevents Na+,K+-ATPase inhibition in the striatum and frontal cortex caused by neonatal hypoxia–ischemia.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported in part by grants from Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnológico (CNPq—Brazil) and (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do estado do Rio Grande do Sul (FAPERGS).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Ciência Morfológicas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Sarmento Leite, 500, Porto Alegre, RS, 90050-170, Brazil

    Jaqueline Vieira Carletti, Bruna Ferrary Deniz, Joseane Jiménez Rojas & Lenir Orlandi Pereira

  2. Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2600, Prédio Anexo, Porto Alegre, RS, 90035-003, Brazil

    Patrícia Maidana Miguel, Janaína Kolling, Emilene Barros Scherer, Angela Teresinha de Souza Wyse & Carlos Alexandre Netto

  3. Programa de Pós Graduação em Ciências Biológicas-Neurociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Sarmento Leite, 500 sala 107, Porto Alegre, RS, 90050-170, Brazil

    Jaqueline Vieira Carletti, Joseane Jiménez Rojas, Carlos Alexandre Netto & Lenir Orlandi Pereira

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  1. Jaqueline Vieira Carletti
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  2. Bruna Ferrary Deniz
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Correspondence to Lenir Orlandi Pereira.

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Carletti, J.V., Deniz, B.F., Miguel, P.M. et al. Folic Acid Prevents Behavioral Impairment and Na+,K+-ATPase Inhibition Caused by Neonatal Hypoxia–Ischemia. Neurochem Res 37, 1624–1630 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11064-012-0757-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11064-012-0757-6

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