Impact of Alcohol on Aging and Memory in Mice
Author Information
Author(s): Chen Hao, Hinz Kaitlyn, Zhang Chen, Rodriguez Yssa, Williams Sha Neisha, Niu Mengwei, Ma Xiaowen, Chao Xiaojuan, Frazier Alexandria L., McCarson Kenneth E., Wang Xiaowan, Peng Zheyun, Liu Wanqing, Ni Hong-Min, Zhang Jianhua, Swerdlow Russell H., Ding Wen-Xing
Primary Institution: The University of Kansas Medical Center
Hypothesis
Does chronic alcohol consumption worsen age-related cognitive decline and affect brain TFEB activity?
Conclusion
Aging has a more significant impact on cognitive decline and brain autophagy than alcohol consumption.
Supporting Evidence
- Aging alone decreased brain TFEB levels and increased autophagy markers.
- Alcohol feeding did not exacerbate age-related cognitive decline in aged mice.
- Young mice showed impaired spatial memory with alcohol, but aged mice did not.
- Chronic alcohol feeding increased cytosolic TFEB retention in both young and aged mice.
- Transcriptomic analysis revealed significant gene expression changes in response to aging and alcohol.
Takeaway
As mice get older, their memory gets worse, and drinking alcohol doesn't make it worse; in fact, it might even help a little in older mice.
Methodology
Young and aged mice were fed alcohol and tested for memory using the Morris Water Maze and Barnes Maze.
Potential Biases
Potential biases in behavioral testing due to the experimenters being blinded to treatment groups.
Limitations
The study duration was only 4 weeks, and the effects of longer exposure to alcohol were not assessed.
Participant Demographics
Male C57BL/6N mice aged 3 months and 23 months.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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