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The effects of centrally administered fluorocitrate via inhibiting glial cells on working memory in rats

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Abstract

Although prefrontal and hippocampal neurons are critical for spatial working memory, the function of glial cells in spatial working memory remains uncertain. In this study we investigated the function of glial cells in rats’ working memory. The glial cells of rat brain were inhibited by intracerebroventricular (icv) injection of fluorocitrate (FC). The effects of FC on the glial cells were examined by using electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings and delayed spatial alternation tasks. After icv injection of 10 μL of 0.5 nmol/L or 5 nmol/L FC, the EEG power spectrum recorded from the hippocampus increased, but the power spectrum for the prefrontal cortex did not change, and working memory was unaffected. Following an icv injection of 10 μL of 20 nmol/L FC, the EEG power spectra in both the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus increased, and working memory improved. The icv injection of 10 μL of 50 nmol/L FC, the EEG power spectra in both the prefrontal cortex and in the hippocampus decreased, and working memory was impaired. These results suggest that spatial working memory is affected by centrally administered FC, but only if there are changes in the EEG power spectrum in the prefrontal cortex. Presumably, the prefrontal glial cells relate to the working memory.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Brain and Behavior, Kunming Institute of Zoology, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, China

    Lei Wang, Chao-Cui Li, Gong-Wu Wang & Jing-Xia Cai

  2. Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Lei Wang

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  1. Lei Wang
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Correspondence to Jing-Xia Cai.

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Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 30070251) and the National Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. G1999054000) to Prof. CAI Jing-Xia.

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Wang, L., Li, CC., Wang, GW. et al. The effects of centrally administered fluorocitrate via inhibiting glial cells on working memory in rats. SCI CHINA SER C 52, 701–709 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11427-009-0101-9

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