Effects of Age and Gender on the Expression of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor mRNA in Rat Retrosplenial Cortex Following Administration of Dizocilpine

Using in situ hybridization, we studied the effects of age and gender on the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNA and heat shock protein hsp-70 mRNA in the rat retrosplenial cortex following administration of the noncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonist (+)-MK-801 (dizocilpine). Male and female Sprague–Dawley rats (5 weeks, 12 weeks, or 10 months old) were given a single intraperitoneal injection of saline (1 ml/kg) or dizocilpine (0.3, 1.0, or 3.0 mg/kg). No expression of BDNF mRNA and hsp-70 mRNA was detected in the rat retrosplenial cortex after administration of saline (1 ml/kg, IP). Administration of dizocilpine (0.3, 1.0, or 3.0 mg/kg, IP) caused a marked induction of BDNF mRNA and hsp-70 mRNA in the retrosplenial cortex of male and female rats, in a dose-dependent manner. Female rats were more sensitive to the induction of BDNF mRNA and hsp-70 mRNA in the retrosplenial cortex by dizocilpine as compared to male rats. It was also found that adult (12 weeks old) and aged (10 months old) rats were more sensitive to the induction of hsp-70 mRNA and BDNF mRNA in the retrosplenial cortex by dizocilpine as compared to young (5 weeks old) rats. These results suggest that the age and gender differences observed in the expression of BDNF mRNA and hsp-70 mRNA in the retrosplenial cortex by dizocilpine may be associated with the differences in dizocilpine-induced neurotoxicity observed with gender and age within the same region.