Abstract
Diabetes mellitus may be associated with impaired cognitive function. Decreased peripheral
glucose regulation was associated with decreased general cognitive performance, memory
impairments, and atrophy of the hippocampus, a brain area that is key for learning
and memory. Leptin that is a peptide hormone, acts in the hippocampus where it facilitates
the induction of long-term potentiation and enhances NMDA receptor mediated transmission.
The aim of the present study is to investigate possible relationship between the hippocampal
leptin receptor gene expression and learning performance in streptozotocin (STZ) induced
diabetic rats. In this study was conducted on a total of 40 Winstar albino female
rats, including a control group consisting of 20 rats and experimental group comprising
of 20 rats in which diabetes was induced by means of STZ administration. Leptin receptor
gene expression was detected in hippocampal samples by using real time-PCR. According
to the evaluation, the learning performance of rats with induced diabetes was found
to be same throughout the first 3 days after STZ in comparison to the control group
rats. End of the 45 days the learning performance of the control group was found to
be better than the diabetic group (p<0.05). Hipocampal leptin receptor expression
was found lower in diabetic group than the control group (p<0.05). The results provide
evidence that leptin receptor gene may related to learning performance in diabetic
rats. Further, detailed studies are needed to address the exact role of leptin and
related molecules in learning performance.
Key words
diabetes mellitus - hippocampal leptin receptor - cognitive performance