ACTA ENDOCRINOLOGICA (BUC)

Context. Studies indicate a decrease in spatial memory across species as they age. Moreover, consistent administration of Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) improves learning abilities in older rats that have undergone gonadectomy. Objective. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the GnRH agonist, leuprolide acetate (LA) on spatial memory in aged intact male rats and the expression of proteins associated with hippocampal plasticity. Subjects and methods. Aged male rats were injected with LA or saline every three days for nine weeks to assess the effects of LA on spatial memory. The aged rats were trained in the Morris Water Maze for four days, and the evaluation took place on the fifth day. Additionally, the Y-maze test was used to investigate short-term spatial memory. The expression of spinophilin and microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2) in the hippocampus was measured. Results. Behavioral tests revealed that LA improves spatial memory in aged rats. Additionally, we observed increased expression of spinophilin and MAP2 in the hippocampus of aged male rats following LA treatment. Based on these results, the administration of LA holds is a potential treatment for restoring cognitive function in aged individuals.