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. 2012 Dec 31;7(12):e53569. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0053569

Figure 1. Aged female mice show apoE4-induced spatial learning and memory deficits, but male mice do not.

Figure 1

A, 16-month old male and female apoE3-KI or apoE4-KI mice (n = 10−12 mice per group) were tested in the Morris water maze. Points represent averages of daily trials. H, hidden platform day (2 trials/session, 2 sessions/day); H0, first trial on H1; V, visible platform day (2 trials/session, 2 sessions/day). Escape latency (y-axis) indicates time to reach the target. In the hidden platform days, latencies of all groups of mice were analyzed and compared by repeated measures ANOVA and Bonferroni post-hoc test. Female apoE4-KI mice learned significantly slower than female apoE3-KI mice (repeated-measures ANOVA and Bonferroni post-hoc test, p<0.01) [28]. Male apoE3-KI and apoE4-KI mice performed at a similar level to female apoE3-KI mice. B, Swim speed was not different among the various groups of mice. C, D, Probe 1 trials of female (C, n = 10−12) and male (D, n = 7−9) apoE3-KI or apoE4-KI mice were performed 24 h after the last hidden day platform training. E, F, Probe 2 trials of female (E, n = 10−12) and male (F, n = 7−9) apoE3-KI or apoE4-KI mice were performed 72 h after the last hidden day platform training. Percentage time spent in the target quadrant versus the time spent in any of the three non-target quadrants differed in all groups except for female apoE4-KI mice. **p<0.01, ***p<0.001 (t-test).