Intracerebroventricular Insulin Improves Spatial Learning and Memory in Male Wistar Rats

Abstract

As one of the most studied protein hormones, insulin as Well as its receptor have been known to play key roles in a variety Of important biological processes Detection Of Insulin and its receptor in the central nervous system (CNS) has led to a rapidly growing interest in the central effects of insulin Insulin and its receptor are located in the specific area of the CNS with a diversity of region-specific functions different from its direct carbohydrate homeostasis in file periphery. The high density of insulin/insulin receptor in brain areas such a, the hippocampus and cerebral cortex have shown to play an important role in higher cognitive functions. suggesting that insulin might be involved ill the Modulation of memory Previous studies have offered controversial results regarding the effects of insulin On various types of memory The aim of the present study is to determine whether intracerebroventricular (ICV) administration of insulin improves the water maze performance of rats. The experimental groups had pretraining insulin infusion (2, 4, 8, 16, and 32 mu) into the third ventricle, and then they were compared with a sham (saline) group Insulin treatment Caused all enhancing effect on spatial memory in a dose-dependent manner The low doses (2, 4, and 8 mu) of insulin had no significant effect on the water maze achievement of rills. whereas higher doses (16 and 32 mu) significantly improved the rats' performance These results suggest that ICV administration of insulin may result in I dose-dependent improvement of memory function in rats.