Effect of erythropoietin (EPO) on plasticity of nervous synapse in CA1 region of hippocampal of vascular dementia (VaD) rats

The effects of erythropoietin (EPO) on plasticity of nervous synapse in CA1 region of hippocampal of vascular dementia (VaD) rats were studied. The Wistar rats reaching standard were randomly divided into three groups: Sham control group, VaD group, VaD + EPO injection treatment (E) group. The bilateral common carotid arteries of rats were permanently ligated to establish VaD model. Special study and memory were observed by Y-maze test. The expressions relative rate of MAP-2 and SYN in CA1 region of hippocampus at different time were detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Immunohistochemistry (ICH). 4, 8 and 12 weeks after operation, there were obvious decrease in MAP-2 and SYN expression in both VaD and E groups, while it was much more for VaD group. EPO could comparatively increase the MAP-2 and SYN protein and mRNA expression in the hippocampal CA1 region of VaD rats. These results suggested that EPO might develop its improvement by regulating the plasticity of nervous synapse, which were in terms of increasing MAP-2 and SYN protein and mRNA expression in the CA1 region of hippocampal of VaD rats.