Ovariectomy enhances acetylcholinesterase activity but does not alter ganglioside content in cerebral cortex of female adult rats

• Published in: Metabolic brain disease Vol. 20; no. 1; pp. 35 - 44
• Main Authors: MONTEIRO, Siomara C, STEFANELLO, Francieli M, VIANNA, Luciene P, MATTE, Cristiane, BARP, Jaqueline, BELLO-KLEIN, Adriane, TRINDADE, Vera M. T, WYSE, Angela T. S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Springer 01.03.2005; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Acetylcholine - metabolism; Acetylcholinesterase - metabolism; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Butyrylcholinesterase - blood; Cerebral circulation. Blood-brain barrier. Choroid plexus. Cerebrospinal fluid. Circumventricular organ. Meninges; Cerebral Cortex - enzymology; Cerebral Cortex - metabolism; Chromatography, Thin Layer; Disease Models, Animal; Down-Regulation - physiology; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gangliosides - metabolism; Medical sciences; Neurology; Neuropharmacology; Neuroprotective agent; Ovariectomy; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Postmenopause - metabolism; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Up-Regulation - physiology; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs; Cerebral cortex; Nervous system diseases; Ovariectomy; Rat; Enzyme; Rodentia; Esterases; Acetylcholinesterase; Carboxylic ester hydrolases; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Ganglioside; Animal; Hydrolases
• ISSN: 0885-7490; 1573-7365
• DOI: 10.1007/s11011-005-2474-1

In the present work we investigated the effect of ovariectomy on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity and ganglioside content in cerebral cortex of female rats. We also studied the activity of butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) in serum of these animals. Adult Wistar rats were divided into three groups: (1) naive females (control), (2) sham-operated females and (3) castrated females (ovariectomy). Thirty days after ovariectomy, rats were sacrificed by decapitation without anaesthesia. Blood was collected and the serum used for BuChE determination. Cerebral cortex was homogenized to determine AChE activity and extracted with chlorophorm:methanol for ganglioside evaluation. Results showed that rats subjected to ovariectomy presented a significant increase of AChE activity, but did not change the content and the profile of gangliosides in cerebral cortex when compared to sham or naive rats. BuChE activity was decreased in serum of rats ovariectomized. Our findings suggest that the alteration in the activity of brain AChE, as well as serum BuChE activity caused by ovariectomy may contribute to the impaired cognition and/or other neurological dysfunction found in post-menopausal women.