Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3G 1Y6, Canada.
Learn Mem. 2010 Jun;17(6):297-305. doi: 10.1101/lm.1804410.
The standard model of system consolidation proposes that memories are initially hippocampus dependent and become hippocampus independent over time. Previous studies have demonstrated the involvement of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in the retrieval of remote memories. The transformations required to make a memory undergo system's consolidation are thought to require synaptic plasticity. In this study, we investigated the participation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/ERK pathway in acquisition, memory consolidation, and recent memory recall of the Morris water maze (MWM) task using a 1-d training protocol. To this end, bilateral injections of the MEK inhibitor U0126 into the rat mPFC were performed. The injection of the MEK inhibitor in the mPFC did not affect the acquisition of the MWM. However, MEK inhibitor resulted in impairments on recent memory retrieval either when applied at the end of the learning phase (memory consolidation) or prior to the retention test. The results strongly support the concept that recently acquired and consolidated spatial memories require the mPFC, and that local activation of the MAPK/ERK pathway in the mPFC is necessary for the consolidation and recall of recent memories.
系统巩固的标准模型提出，记忆最初依赖于海马体，随着时间的推移逐渐变得不依赖于海马体。先前的研究表明，内侧前额叶皮层（mPFC）参与了遥远记忆的检索。为了使记忆经历系统巩固，需要进行的转变被认为需要突触可塑性。在这项研究中，我们使用 1 天的训练方案，通过对大鼠 mPFC 进行双侧 MEK 抑制剂 U0126 注射，研究了丝裂原激活的蛋白激酶（MAPK）/ ERK 通路在获得、记忆巩固和近期记忆回忆中的参与情况。为此，对大鼠 mPFC 进行了双侧 MEK 抑制剂 U0126 注射。mPFC 中的 MEK 抑制剂注射并不影响 MWM 的获得。然而，当 MEK 抑制剂在学习阶段结束时（记忆巩固）或在保留测试之前应用时，会导致近期记忆检索受损。这些结果强烈支持这样的概念，即最近获得和巩固的空间记忆需要 mPFC，并且 mPFC 中 MAPK/ERK 通路的局部激活对于最近记忆的巩固和回忆是必要的。
