The effects of prenatal hyperhomocysteinemia on the formation of memory and the contents of biogenic amines in the rat hippocampus

Abstract

We evaluated the long-term neurophysiological effects of prenatal hyperhomocysteinemia (HHC) in mature female rats whose mothers received an oral methionine load daily from the fourth day of pregnancy to delivery. We have shown that after the experimentally induced prenatal HHC in mature female rats, shortterm and long-term memory were disrupted. These changes were observed in the absence of exogenous methionine intake and after recovery of normal values of homocysteine in the serum of rats in comparison with the level detected immediately after birth. A significant reduction in the concentration of noradrenaline, serotonin, and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid in the hippocampus of mature female rats subjected to prenatal HHC was also found, which may be one of the causes of their cognitive impairment.