FIGURE 1.

bSWNTs promote the recovery of learning and memory function in rats with EtOH‐induced neurodegeneration. (A) Typical HR‐TEM micrographs of the four SWNTs. Scale bar; 10 nm. (B) Experimental procedure for administration of 4 different types of SWNT (i.c.v. 40 ng/rat). One week before binge ethanol exposure, rats were treated with either vehicle or different SWNTs. Some rats were sacrificed after 4‐day ethanol exposure for subsequent protein analysis, while others underwent behavioral tests after 3 days of withdrawal. (C) Behavioral training schedule for the object recognition tests. (D,E) Representative results from the novel location recognition (D) and novel object recognition (E) tests, indicating the effects of SWNTs on learning and memory. ^# p < 0.05, ^## p < 0.01 versus the vehicle group; *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01 versus EtOH group, one‐way ANOVA; n = 8. (F) A schematic representation of the Morris water maze protocol. Mice were trained for 7 days in a navigation task to locate a hidden platform in the original target quadrant. The hidden platform was then moved to the opposite quadrant during the reversal task. (G,H) The time spent in the original target quadrant (G) and the number of entries into the original target quadrant (H) in the Morris water maze reversal task. Administration of bSWNTs facilitated the recovery of spatial memory deficits induced by binge ethanol. Data are presented as means ± SEM. ^# p < 0.05, ^## p < 0.01 versus the vehicle group; *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01 versus EtOH group, one‐way ANOVA; n = 8