Physiology& Behavior, Vol. 51, pp. 411--418. Pergamon Press plc, 1992. Printed in the U.S.A.
0031-9384/92 $5.00 + .00
Complex Maze Performance in Young and Aged Rats: Response to Glucose Treatment and Relationship to Blood Insulin and Glucose J. M. L O N G , * B. J. D A V I S , t P. G A R O F A L O , * E. L. S P A N G L E R * A N D D. K. I N G R A M .1
*Molecular Physiology and Genetics Section, Nathan W. Shock Laboratories, Gerontology Research Center 2 National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224 ~Departments of Neurology and Neurobiology, University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, NY 14627 R e c e i v e d 23 April 1991 LONG, J. M., B. J. DAVIS, P. GAROFALO, E. L. SPANGLER AND D. K. INGRAM. Complex maze performance in young and aged rats: Response to glucose treatment and relationship to blood insulin and glucose. PHYSIOL BEHAV 51(2) 411--418, 1992.--In aged rats and humans, impaired glucose regulation has been correlated with poor memory performance, and glucose treatment can result in improved performance. We tested this glucose hypothesis with rats in a 14-unit T-maze that has provided robust evidence of age-related performance decline. Aged (24-25 month) and young (6-7 month) male F-344 rats were pretrained for one-way active avoidance before receiving complex maze training (4 daily trials over 5 days) with the contingency of moving through each of 5 segments to avoid footshock. Ten min before daily training, aged rats received either saline or glucose in doses of 10, 100, or 500 mg/kg IP, while young rats received saline. Significant (ps