Pharmacy Practice Faculty Publications
Chronic [D-Ala2]-Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone Administration Attenuates Age-Related Deficits in Spatial Memory
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2-1-2000
Journal Title
Journal of Gerontology: Biological Sciences
ISSN
1079-5006
Volume
55
Issue
2
First Page
B106
Last Page
B112
DOI
http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/gerona/55.2.b106
PubMed ID
10737685
Abstract
The age-related decline in growth hormone is one of the most robust endocrine markers of biological aging and has been hypothesized to contribute to the physiological deficits observed in aged animals. However, there have been few studies of the impact of this hormonal decline on brain aging. In this study, the effect of long-term subcutaneous administration of [D-Ala2]-growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) on one measure of brain function, memory, was investigated. Animals were injected daily with 2.3 μg of [D-Ala2]-GHRH or saline from 9 to 30 months of age, and the spatial learning and reference memory of animals were assessed by using the Morris water maze and compared with those of 6-month-old animals. Results indicated that spatial memory decreased with age and that chronic[D-Ala2]-GHRH prevented this age-related decrement (24% improvement in the annulus-40 time and 23% improvement in the number of platform crossings compared with saline treated, age-matched controls; p < .05 each). No changes were noted in sensorimotor performance. [D-Ala2]-GHRH attenuated the age-related decline in plasma concentrations of insulinlike growth factor-1 (IGF-1) (p
Keywords
Growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor 1, learning, memory, brain aging
Recommended Citation
Thornton, Phillip L.; Ingram, Rhonda L.; and Sonntag, William E., "Chronic [D-Ala2]-Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone Administration Attenuates Age-Related Deficits in Spatial Memory" (2000). Pharmacy Practice Faculty Publications. 235.
https://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/pharmacy_practice_publications/235
Comments
From The Journals of Gerontology, Series A