Long-term exposure to a hypomagnetic field attenuates adult hippocampal neurogenesis and cognition

• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21468-x
• Publication Date: 2021-02-20T16:02:53Z
• Authors: Bingfang Zhang; Lei Wang; Aisheng Zhan; Min Wang; Lanxiang Tian; Weixiang Guo; Yongxin Pan
• Keywords: Adult; Male; 0303 health sciences; Science; Neurogenesis; Q; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; Hippocampus; Article; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice; 03 medical and health sciences; Cognition; Magnetic Fields; Neural Stem Cells; Memory; Animals; Humans; Learning; Reactive Oxygen Species; Cell Proliferation

AbstractAdult hippocampal neurogenesis contributes to learning and memory, and is sensitive to a variety of environmental stimuli. Exposure to a hypomagnetic field (HMF) influences the cognitive processes of various animals, from insects to human beings. However, whether HMF exposure affect adult hippocampal neurogenesis and hippocampus-dependent cognitions is still an enigma. Here, we showed that male C57BL/6 J mice exposed to HMF by means of near elimination of the geomagnetic field (GMF) exhibit significant impairments of adult hippocampal neurogenesis and hippocampus-dependent learning, which is strongly correlated with a reduction in the content of reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, these deficits seen in HMF-exposed mice could be rescued either by elevating ROS levels through pharmacological inhibition of ROS removal or by returning them back to GMF. Therefore, our results suggest that GMF plays an important role in adult hippocampal neurogenesis through maintaining appropriate endogenous ROS levels.