Effects of biotin deficiency on short term memory: The role of glutamate, glutamic acid, dopamine and protein kinase A.

Insufficient dietary biotin intake, biotinidase deficiency, drug-biotin interactions can cause biotin deficiency which may result in central nervous system dysfunctions. We hypothesized that biotin deficiency could disrupt learning and memory functions by altering glutamate, glutamine, dopamine levels and protein kinase A (PKA) activity in the hippocampus. Sixteen female and 4 male Wistar rats were mated and females were separated into 4 groups. Three pups were selected from each mother and a total of 48 pups were divided into the following experimental groups. NN group, normal diet in the prenatal and postnatal period. NB group, normal diet in the prenatal and a biotin-deficient diet in the postnatal period. BN group: biotin-deficient diet in the prenatal and a normal diet in the postnatal period, BB group: biotin-deficient diet in both the prenatal and postnatal period. Open Field, Y-Maze, Object Location, and Novel Object Recognition Tests were performed in all groups and rats were sacrificed. Glutamine, glutamate, dopamine levels and PKA activity were analyzed in the hippocampi. In the open field test, distance and velocity values of NB, BN and BB groups were decreased with respect to the NN group. Learning and memory functions of NB, BN and BB groups were found to be impaired in behavioral tests. Dopamine levels and PKA activity were also decreased in all rat pups fed with a biotin deficient diet. In conclusion, we demonstrated that biotin deficiency deteriorates short-term memory and locomotor activity. This impairment may relate to decreased dopamine levels and PKA activity in the hippocampus.