Ng paradigm in the RAWM. We hypothesizedHippocampal Subregions, Stress and Learningthat protein expression would be SPDB higher in the dorsal subregion due to the demands of spatial navigation, and lower in the ventral subregion due to the stressful nature of the learning task. Finally, the dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus is a neurogenic region, and the generation of neurons along its rostrocaudal extent has been linked to both spatial function [12] and the affective response to stressful experiences [13,14]. Stress depletes the pool of newly generated cells in the DG [15]. We have 25033180 shown that this suppressive effect on survival of newborn cells is most severe in the ventral, compared to the dorsal subregion following CUS [9]. In the present study, we extended this finding by also examining proliferation and neuronal differentiation of cells in the dorsal and ventral DG following CUS. The present study was designed to accomplish three goals. First, we tested the hypothesis that CUS would enhance spatial performance. Second, we examined subregion-specific protein expression after RAWM exposure, which was simultaneously stressful and demanded spatial function. Third, we extended our prior finding that the suppressive effect of CUS on hippocampal neurogenesis is most severe in the ventral subregion. Our results are consistent with the idea that the hippocampus plays a dual role in stressful experiences, with the dorsal subregion selectively involved in adaptive behaviors, and the ventral subserving the emotional response.where an escape platform was located 1 cm below the surface [21]. Available extra-maze visual cues included variously shaped figures on the walls. For each trial, animals were gently placed in the entrance 
arm facing the wall of the pool. Starting location arms for each trial 
were randomized, but never included the goal arm, which remained the same throughout all trials. If the rat could not find the platform within 1 minute, it was guided to and allowed to sit on the platform during the intertrial interval. During the 1-minute intertrial interval, animals remained on the platform. The 12 acquisition trials were divided into two blocks of six consecutive trials, interspersed with a 5-minute break. Following the acquisition trials, the animals underwent a short-term memory trial (30 minutes later) and a long-term memory trial (24 hours later). For each trial, latency to locate the platform and number of errors were recorded. Errors were operationally defined as anytime the animal’s entire body entered an arm that was not the goal arm, as well as anytime an animal entered the goal arm but did not find the hidden platform.Corticosterone AssessmentTo verify that CUS and learning experience were stressful, we assessed corticosterone levels, using fecal boli, since they can be obtained without stress to the animal and fecal corticosterone is highly correlated with serum corticosterone [22,23]. Fecal boli were PS 1145 cost collected from 12 randomly selected animals that experienced learning in the RAWM (control, n = 6; stress, n = 6). Baseline levels of corticosterone were determined from samples collected after animals had acclimated to their environment for a week but before CUS commenced. In order to see what impact CUS and the RAWM had on corticosterone, fecal samples were collected 24 hours after the last stressor and again following the long-term memory trial for the RAWM. Corticosterone levels were quantified using a commercially avai.Ng paradigm in the RAWM. We hypothesizedHippocampal Subregions, Stress and Learningthat protein expression would be higher in the dorsal subregion due to the demands of spatial navigation, and lower in the ventral subregion due to the stressful nature of the learning task. Finally, the dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus is a neurogenic region, and the generation of neurons along its rostrocaudal extent has been linked to both spatial function [12] and the affective response to stressful experiences [13,14]. Stress depletes the pool of newly generated cells in the DG [15]. We have 25033180 shown that this suppressive effect on survival of newborn cells is most severe in the ventral, compared to the dorsal subregion following CUS [9]. In the present study, we extended this finding by also examining proliferation and neuronal differentiation of cells in the dorsal and ventral DG following CUS. The present study was designed to accomplish three goals. First, we tested the hypothesis that CUS would enhance spatial performance. Second, we examined subregion-specific protein expression after RAWM exposure, which was simultaneously stressful and demanded spatial function. Third, we extended our prior finding that the suppressive effect of CUS on hippocampal neurogenesis is most severe in the ventral subregion. Our results are consistent with the idea that the hippocampus plays a dual role in stressful experiences, with the dorsal subregion selectively involved in adaptive behaviors, and the ventral subserving the emotional response.where an escape platform was located 1 cm below the surface [21]. Available extra-maze visual cues included variously shaped figures on the walls. For each trial, animals were gently placed in the entrance arm facing the wall of the pool. Starting location arms for each trial were randomized, but never included the goal arm, which remained the same throughout all trials. If the rat could not find the platform within 1 minute, it was guided to and allowed to sit on the platform during the intertrial interval. During the 1-minute intertrial interval, animals remained on the platform. The 12 acquisition trials were divided into two blocks of six consecutive trials, interspersed with a 5-minute break. Following the acquisition trials, the animals underwent a short-term memory trial (30 minutes later) and a long-term memory trial (24 hours later). For each trial, latency to locate the platform and number of errors were recorded. Errors were operationally defined as anytime the animal’s entire body entered an arm that was not the goal arm, as well as anytime an animal entered the goal arm but did not find the hidden platform.Corticosterone AssessmentTo verify that CUS and learning experience were stressful, we assessed corticosterone levels, using fecal boli, since they can be obtained without stress to the animal and fecal corticosterone is highly correlated with serum corticosterone [22,23]. Fecal boli were collected from 12 randomly selected animals that experienced learning in the RAWM (control, n = 6; stress, n = 6). Baseline levels of corticosterone were determined from samples collected after animals had acclimated to their environment for a week but before CUS commenced. In order to see what impact CUS and the RAWM had on corticosterone, fecal samples were collected 24 hours after the last stressor and again following the long-term memory trial for the RAWM. Corticosterone levels were quantified using a commercially avai.
