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Formaldehyde Impairs Learning and Memory Involving the Disturbance of Hydrogen Sulfide Generation in the Hippocampus of Rats

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Abstract

Formaldehyde (FA), a well-known indoor and outdoor pollutant, has been implicated as the responsible agent in the development of neurocognitive disorders. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), the third gasotransimitter, is an endogenous neuromodulator, which facilitates the induction of hippocampal long-term potentiation, involving the functions of learning and memory. In the present study, we analyzed the effects of intracerebroventricular injection of FA on the formation of learning and memory and the generation of endogenous H2S in the hippocampus of rats. We found that the intracerebroventricular injection of FA in rats impairs the function of learning and memory in the Morris water maze and novel object recognition test and increases the formation of apoptosis and lipid peroxidation in the hippocampus. We also showed that FA exposure inhibits the expression of cystathionine β-synthase, the major enzyme responsible for endogenous H2S generation in hippocampus and decreases the production of endogenous H2S in hippocampus in rats. These results suggested that FA-disturbed generation of endogenous H2S in hippocampus leads to the oxidative stress-mediated neuron damage, ultimately impairing the function of learning and memory. Our findings imply that the disturbance of endogenous H2S generation in hippocampus is a potential contributing mechanism underling FA-caused learning and memory impairment.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by Natural Science Foundation of China (81071005 and 81200985) and the Scientific Research Foundation for the Returned Overseas Chinese Scholars, State Education Ministry ([2010]508).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology, Medical College, University of South China, 28 W Changsheng Road, Hengyang, 421001, Hunan, People’s Republic of China

    Xiao-Qing Tang, Heng-Rong Fang, Cheng-Fang Zhou & Hong-Feng Gu

  2. Institute of Cognition and Nervous Systems Disease, Medical College, University of South China, Hengyang, 421001, Hunan, People’s Republic of China

    Xiao-Qing Tang, Yuan-Yuan Zhuang, Heng-Rong Fang, Cheng-Fang Zhou, Hong-Feng Gu & Chun-Yan Wang

  3. Division of Science and Technology Research, Kingmed Diagnostics Center, Guangzhou, 510330, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China

    Yuan-Yuan Zhuang

  4. Department of Neurology, Nanhua Affiliated Hospital, University of South China, Hengyang, 421001, Hunan, People’s Republic of China

    Ping Zhang

  5. Hospital of Orthopedics, General Hospital of Guangzhou Military Command of PLA, Guangzhou, 510010, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China

    Hui Zhang

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  1. Xiao-Qing Tang
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  2. Yuan-Yuan Zhuang
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  4. Heng-Rong Fang
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Correspondence to Xiao-Qing Tang or Ping Zhang.

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X.Q. Tang and Y.Y. Zhuang contributed equally to this work.

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Tang, XQ., Zhuang, YY., Zhang, P. et al. Formaldehyde Impairs Learning and Memory Involving the Disturbance of Hydrogen Sulfide Generation in the Hippocampus of Rats. J Mol Neurosci 49, 140–149 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12031-012-9912-4

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