Background Vascular dementia (VaD) with cognitive impairment is the second most common type of dementia, mainly manifests as cognitive dysfunction, and its pathogenesis is still unclear.
Objective To explore the underlying pathogenesis mechanisms of spatial working memory impairment in mice with VaD.
Methods Sixteen ICR mice were randomly divided into the control group and the VaD group. The left common carotid artery was clamped and reperfused in the VaD group to establish the VaD model. After operation, the Longa scoring method and the balance beam experiment were used to evaluate the neurological score, and the spatial working memory behavior was tested with T maze. The 2, 3, 5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining method was used to evaluate the cerebral infarct volume of mice, and the expression of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors 2A (NMDAR2A) in hippocampus was detected by western blot.
Results Compared with the control group, the neurological function scores were lower, the accuracy of working memory in T maze decreased, the completion time of working memory tasks prolonged, the cerebral infarction volume increased, and the expression level of NMDAR2A in hippocampus decreased in the VaD group (P < 0.05).
Conclusion The impairment of spatial working memory abilities in VaD rats maybe related to the decreased expression level of NMDAR2A in hippocampus.
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