The significance of expression of p38 MAPK in neuron of hippocampus in mice with vascular dementia

Objective To study the possible role of p38 MAPK in decline of cognitive and memory functions in a mouse model of vascular dementia.Methods The mice were subjected for ischemia and reperfusion repeatedly by the ligation of bilateral common carotid arteries to establish the experimental models of vascular dementia(VD).The behavioral changes were evaluated using step-down and water maze tests and the expression of p38 MAPK was examined using immunohistochemical staining.Results Both response time and swimming time were prolonged and the error times increased in VD model group in the test of learning.Latency time was shortened,swimming time prolonged and error times increased in VD model group in the test of memory.The immunohistochemical expression of p38 MAPK in the hippocampus neurons was also increased in VD mice(P0.01).Conclusions The learning and memory in VD mice were decreased and the expression of p38 MAPK in the hippocampus neurons of VD mice was increased.Our data suggest that decline of cognitive and memory functions may be associated with the increase of p38 MAPK in the hippocampus neurons of VD mice.