Published Online
on February 16, 2004

A more recent version of this article appeared on April 1, 2004

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Submitted on December 2, 2003
Revised on December 22, 2003

Modulation of Learning and Memory in Dahl Rats by Dietary Salt Restriction

Nelson Ruiz-Opazo^*; Lyle V. Lopez; and John Tonkiss

From Section Molecular Medicine (N.R.-O., L.V.L.), Department of Medicine, and Center for Behavioral Development and Mental Retardation (J.T.), Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Mass.

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: nruizo{at}bu.edu.

Abstract--The Dahl rat represents a robust animal model of salt-sensitive hypertension, with Dahl S rats being salt sensitive and Dahl R rats (the Dahl S counterparts) being salt resistant for the development of hypertension. Here we evaluate the effect of reduced dietary salt intake on learning and memory in the Dahl rat model. Salt restriction produced a significant impairment in social transmission of food preference and social recognition memory in Dahl S rats without affecting spatial learning. In contrast, social transmission of food preference and social recognition memory remained unaffected in Dahl R rats, whereas navigation performance was significantly improved. This effect on learning and memory was not generalized because sodium restriction did not influence object recognition memory in either Dahl S or Dahl R rats. The significant decrement in select cognitive functions in Dahl S rats produced by salt restriction are in sharp contrast to the well known positive effect of dietary salt restriction in alleviating high blood pressure and associated target organ complications, suggesting that caution must be exercised when weighing the benefits of salt restriction in improving cardiovascular health in salt-sensitive hypertension against the potential undesirable effects of reduced cognitive function.

Key words: rats, Dahl • sodium

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