In Vivo Effects of Exogenous BDNF Administration on AMPA Receptors in the Dentate Gyrus of Female Rats

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SIRMATEL BAKRIYANIK B., ÖZER Ç., SEYMEN C. M.

Ankara Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Mecmuası, cilt.78, sa.2, ss.93-105, 2025 (TRDizin)

• Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
• Cilt numarası: 78 Sayı: 2
• Basım Tarihi: 2025
• Doi Numarası: 10.4274/atfm.galenos.2025.78608
• Dergi Adı: Ankara Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Mecmuası
• Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: TR DİZİN (ULAKBİM)
• Sayfa Sayıları: ss.93-105
• Açık Arşiv Koleksiyonu: AVESİS Açık Erişim Koleksiyonu
• Gazi Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Abstract

Objectives: Previous in vitro studies have demonstrated that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) modulates α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-

isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) expression and the trafficking of synaptic AMPA receptors (AMPARs). However, it is not known whether exogenous

BDNF administration similarly regulates AMPAR trafficking in vivo. This study aims to elucidate this unknown aspect. Additionally, considering that

BDNF and estrogen have similar effects in the brain and may interact through their cellular mechanisms, the study also aims to explore the outcomes

of BDNF administration in female rats.

Material and Methods: For this purpose, female Long-Evans rats in the same estrus phase were divided into the experimental group (EG, n=5) and

the control group (CG, n=5). In the EG, recombinant BDNF protein (4 μg/day) was administered to the right hippocampus via osmotic minipumps

for 7 days, while the CG received phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) (4 μg/day) under the same conditions. The Morris Water Maze (MWM) test was

employed for assessing learning and memory. AMPAR levels in the left and right hippocampi were examined using immunohistochemical methods,

and the intensity patterns were evaluated using H-scoring.

Results: Although no significant behavioral differences were observed between the groups in the MWM task (p>0.05), H-scoring results revealed

that BDNF treatment significantly increased GluR1 subunit immunoreactivity in the right hippocampus of the EG compared to the CG (p≤0.001).

Notably, GluR1 H-score levels were also significantly increased in the left hemisphere, which was not directly infused with BDNF.

Conclusion: This study demonstrates that long-term BDNF administration increases AMPAR levels in the hippocampus in vivo. While this increase

has behavioral implications for spatial learning and memory in female rats, further research is needed to explore the full extent of these effects.

Keywords: AMPA receptor, long-term potentiation, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, learning and memory, synaptic plasticity