Table I.
Effect of age on the assessed variables in rats.
| Variable | Adult control | Middle-aged control | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retention time, sec | 28.76±1.06 | 18.11±3.45 | 0.0185a |
| Percentage recognition index | 57.72±1.75 | 55.05±2.78 | 0.4401 |
| MDA in hippocampus, µmol/mg protein | 1.57±0.08 | 2.98±0.40 | 0.0092b |
| MDA in prefrontal cortex, µmol/mg protein | 2.46±0.40 | 1.97±0.22 | 0.3206 |
| TNF-α in hippocampus, pg/mg | 160.99±10.50 | 193.21±3.78 | 0.0203a |
| TNF-α in prefrontal cortex, pg/mg | 168.38±3.46 | 172.11±4.46 | 0.5266 |
| c-Fos positive cells in mPFC, cells/mm2 | 290.16±16.37 | 198.15±30.81 | 0.0167a |
| c-Fos positive cells in dentate gyrus, cells/mm2 | 422.99±11.79 | 190.67±9.24 | <0.0001c |
| c-Fos positive cells in CA3, cells/mm2 | 186.50±8.23 | 105.00±3.49 | <0.0001c |
| c-Fos positive cells in CA1, cells/mm2 | 228.75±6.49 | 106.53±4.71 | <0.0001c |
aP<0.05,
bP<0.01,
cP<0.0001 vs. adult control group. Data are presented as the mean ± SEM. MDA, malondialdehyde; TNF-α, tumor necrosis factor-α; mPFC, medial prefrontal cortex.