Sub-Chronic Aluminum Exposure in Rats' Learning-Memory Capability and Hippocampal Histone H4 Acetylation Modification: Effects and Mechanisms

Aluminum has been found to be closely related to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases and damage learning and memory functions. Many changes in epigenetics may be one of the mechanisms of aluminum neurotoxicity. The purpose of this study is to further investigate the mechanism of action of sub-chronic aluminum exposure on learning memory and histone H4 acetylation modification in Wistar rats, and the correlation between learning memory impairment and histone H4 acetylation in aluminum-exposed rats. Rats in each dose group were given 0.0 g/L, 2.0 g/L, 4.0 g/L, and 8.0 g/L of AlCl3 distilled water daily for 12 weeks. The learning and memory ability of rats was measured by the Morris water maze test; the neuronal morphology of rat hippocampus was observed by Nissl staining and transmission electron microscope; real-time PCR, and Western blot were used to detect mRNA expression and protein content in hippocampus of rats. The results suggest that aluminum may affect the gene and protein expression of HAT1 and HDAC2, and then affect histone H4 and the acetylation of H4K12 (acH4K12), which may lead to learning and memory dysfunction in rats.