Enhancement of Learning and Memory by Elevating Brain Magnesium
Name
Slutsky-2010-Enhancement of Learn.pdf
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1.65 MB
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Checksum (MD5)
e7d97801308b0aa1dd7abc4df045b410
Author(s)
Slutsky, Inna
Abumaria, Nashat
Wu, Long-Jun
Huang, Chao
Zhang, Ling
Li, Bo
Zhao, Xiang
Govindarajan, Arvind
Zhao, Ming-Gao
Zhuo, Min
Date Issued
January 2010
Journal
Neuron
Publisher
Elsevier
Citation
Slutsky, Inna, Nashat Abumaria, Long-Jun Wu, Chao Huang, Ling Zhang, Bo Li, Xiang Zhao, et al. “Enhancement of Learning and Memory by Elevating Brain Magnesium.” Neuron 65, no. 2 (January 2010): 165–177. © 2010 Elsevier Inc.
Version
Final published version
Abstract
Learning and memory are fundamental brain functions affected by dietary and environmental factors. Here, we show that increasing brain magnesium using a newly developed magnesium compound (magnesium-L-threonate, MgT) leads to the enhancement of learning abilities, working memory, and short- and long-term memory in rats. The pattern completion ability was also improved in aged rats. MgT-treated rats had higher density of synaptophysin-/synaptobrevin-positive puncta in DG and CA1 subregions of hippocampus that were correlated with memory improvement. Functionally, magnesium increased the number of functional presynaptic release sites, while it reduced their release probability. The resultant synaptic reconfiguration enabled selective enhancement of synaptic transmission for burst inputs. Coupled with concurrent upregulation of NR2B-containing NMDA receptors and its downstream signaling, synaptic plasticity induced by correlated inputs was enhanced. Our findings suggest that an increase in brain magnesium enhances both short-term synaptic facilitation and long-term potentiation and improves learning and memory functions.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Biology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences
Picower Institute for Learning and Memory
Terms of Use
Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use.
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DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2009.12.026
