Rapamycin improved spatial learning and memory in rats subjected to SE.

<p>(<b>A</b>) The timeline of SE induction (day 1), rapamycin (Rap) treatment (6 mg/kg; days 14, 16, 18 and 20), Morris water maze (MWM) training (days 15–19), probe test (PT) (day 19), novel object recognition (NOR) (day 19) (Fig. 2), social behavior (SB) and open field (OF) (days 20–21), video-electroencephalogram (vEEG) recordings (between 7–21 days after SE), and hippocampi dissection for biochemical analyses is shown. (<b>B–C</b>) MWM results for the four experimental groups. (<b>B</b>) The rats were trained over 8 blocks (2/day, 4 days) to find a hidden platform (target quadrant) in opaque water using visual cues (acquisition phase). The time to find the hidden platform (escape latency) was significantly longer in the SE+Veh compared to the Sham+Veh group. There was no difference in the SE+Rap, Sham+Veh, and Sham+Rap groups. (<b>C</b>, top panel) The hidden platform was removed, and the rats were tested for memory retention of the target quadrant (probe trial). The SE+Veh group spent significantly less time in the target quadrant compared to the Sham+Veh group. The SE+Rap group performed similar to the Sham+Veh and Sham+Rap groups. (<b>C</b>, bottom panel) Representative tracking of the swim patterns during the probe trial. *<i>P<</i>0.05; **<i>P<</i>0.01, ANOVA with Tukey’s <i>post hoc</i> test; n = 8−12. Error bars = SEM.