The effect of swim training and trans-cinnamic acid on anxiety, working memory and dark neuron density of rat’s offspring hippocampus in prenatal seizure model

Intruduction: 

Perinatal seizure cause hippocampal neuronal apoptosis by inducing oxidative stress in the fetal central nervous system. This study evaluates the effect of swim training (ST) and trans-cinnamic acid (CIN) administration during pregnancy on anxiety, cell damage and density of apoptic neurons in the neonatal hippocampus following penthylentetrazol (PTZ)-induced perinatal seizures.

In this experimental study neonates from 25 Wistar pregnant rats were randomly divided into 5 healthy control, PTZ+NS, PTZ+CIN, PTZ+ST and PTZ+CIN+ST groups were used. From embryonic day (ED) 14, the animals were treated with repeated PTZ administration (50 mg / kg, intraperitoneally) for 5 consecutive days. During pregnancy, moderate intensity swimming (20 min, 3 sessions per week) and CIN gavage (100 mg/kg) were performed daily until term delivery. Anxiety-like behaviors and working memory were assessed with elevated plus maze and Y maze, respectively and dark neurons density was measured in the hippocampus of male neonate at postnatal day (PND) 30.

Significant decrease in alteration behavior, increase in anxiety with high density of dark neuron in different areas of hippocampus were observed in the PTZ+NS group compared to the control group (p ˂ 0.05). On the other hand, in PTZ+CIN+ST group, in comparison with PTZ+NS group, a decrease in anxiety, amelioration of working memory deficit and a decrease in hippocampal dark neuron density were observed (p ˂ 0.05).

Interaction of swimming training with trans-cinnamic acid administration ameliorates cognitive-behavioral deficits and cell damage in the hippocampus of rats exposed to maternal seizures.