Introduction: Aging results in disturbance of neurogenesis in the subventricular zone (SVZ). Living in enriched environment (EE) has been proved to stimulate neurogenesis in different brain areas. It reduces emotional stress, ameliorates behavior and improves cognitive functions. This work focuses on outlining the effect of EE on SVZ neurogenesis in albino rat and its restorative effect on age related changes.
Material and Methods: Sixty male albino rats were used and were divided into two groups; control group and enriched environment group (n=30 each). Control group were put in standard cages all over the experiment and was subdivided according to their ages into three subgroups (n=10 each). Rats of postnatal control subgroup (IA; one-day age) were put in standard cages for three weeks. Adult control rats (subgroup IB; three months' age) were put in standard cages for another three months. Old age control rats (subgroup IC; ten months' age) were put in standard cages for another ten months. Enriched environment group was subdivided according to their ages into three subgroups IIA, IIB, IIC (n=10 each) with the same ages of control subgroups and were put in enriched environment cages with larger dimensions for the same periods as the control ones. Rats were injected 2 hours before scarification by BrdU labeling to detect proliferating cells in SVZ. Brain specimens were processed for histological and immunohistochemical studies and statistically analyzed.
Results: This study revealed highly significant increase of neurogenesis in enriched subgroups when compared with control ones evidenced by tracing of proliferating neuroblasts by BrdU labelling. SVZ exhibited histopathological changes in in both adult and old age control subgroups when compared to the postnatal one which were improved in the corresponding enriched subgroups.
Conclusion: Enriched environment has stimulatory effect on SVZ neurogenesis in different ages.