Environmental enrichment improves the recognition memory in adult mice following social isolation via downregulation of Kv4.2 potassium channels

Abstract The recognition memory is a cognitive process that enables us to distinguish familiar objects and situations from new items, which is essential for mammalian survival and adaptation to a changing environment. Social isolation (SI) has been implicated as a detrimental factor for recognition memory. The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) has been shown to carry information concerning the relative familiarity of individual stimuli, and modulating neuronal function in this region may contribute to recognition memory. The present study aimed to investigate the neuronal mechanisms in the mPFC of environmental enrichment (EE) on recognition memory in adult mice following SI. Mice were assigned into three groups: Control, SI, and SI + EE group. Novel location recognition (NLR) and Novel object recognition (NOR) tests were performed to evaluate the recognition memory. The levels of Kv4 channels were assessed by qRT-PCR and Western blotting. The effects of SI and SI + EE on the intrinsic excitability of pyramidal neurons in the mPFC were measured using whole-cell recording. We found that SI led to a reduction in the intrinsic excitability of pyramidal neurons. Specifically, we have identified that the reduction in the firing activity of pyramidal neurons resulted from alterations in the function and expression of Kv4.2 channels. Furthermore, EE regulated Kv4.2 channels, normalized the activity of pyramidal neurons and restored the behavioral deficits following SI. Thus, the roles of Kv4.2 channels in intrinsic excitability of pyramidal neurons suggest that the Kv4.2 channels present a promising therapeutic target for recognition memory impairment.