17β-estradiol replacement therapy protects myelin sheaths in the white matter of middle-aged female ovariectomized rats: a stereological study.

Many studies have shown that estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) can improve cognitive function and affect the structure of the brain, including the white matter, in postmenopausal women. However, it is unclear whether ERT plays an important role in white matter remodeling in postmenopausal women. In the present study, middle-aged (9-12-month-old) female Sprague-Dawley rats were bilaterally ovariectomized (OVX) and randomly allocated to the vehicle treatment (OVX+Veh) group or the 17β-estradiol replacement (OVX+E) group.

Decreased Myelinated Fibers in the Hippocampal Dentate Gyrus of the Tg2576 Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common cause of dementia in the elderly, is characterized by deficits in cognition and memory. Although amyloid-β (Aβ) accumulation is known to be the earliest pathological event that triggers subsequent neurodegeneration, how Aβ accumulation causes behavioral deficits remains incompletely understood. In this study, using the Morris water maze test, ELISA and stereological methods, we examined spatial learning and memory performance, the soluble Aβ concentration and the myelination of fibers in the hippocampus of 4-, 6-, 8- and 10-month-old Tg2576 AD model mice.

Running Exercise Reduces Myelinated Fiber Loss in the Dentate Gyrus of the Hippocampus in APP/PS1 Transgenic Mice.

To investigate the effect of running exercise on myelinated fibers in the dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus during Alzheimer's disease (AD), 6-month-old male APP/PS1 transgenic mice were randomly assigned to control or running groups. The running group mice were subjected to a running protocol for four months. The behaviors of the mice from both group mice were then assessed using the Morris water maze, and the total volume of the DG and the related quantitative parameters with characteristics of the myelinated nerve fiber and the myelin sheath in the DG were investigated using unbiased stereological techniques and electron microscopy.