The hippocampus carries out multiple functions: spatial cognition dorsally (DH) and regulation of emotionality‐driven behavior ventrally (VH). Previously, we showed that dendrites of DH and VH pyramidal neurons of female rats are still developing robustly during adolescence and are altered by the experience of food restriction and voluntary exercise on a wheel. We tested whether such anatomical changes during adolescence impact anxiety‐like behavior and spatial cognition. Four groups of female rats were evaluated for these behaviors: those with wheel access in its cage from postnatal day (P) 36–44 (EX); those with food access restricted to 1 hr per day, from P40 to 44 (FR); those with EX from P36 to 44, combined with FR from P40 to 44, which we will refer to as EX + FR; and controls, CON (no EX, no FR). Open field test for anxiety‐like behavior and active place avoidance test for spatial cognition were conducted at P47–49, the age when food restricted animals have restored body weight, or at P54–56, to identify more enduring effects. Anxiety‐like behavior was elevated for the EX and FR groups at P47–49 but not for the EX + FR group. By P54–56, the EX + FR and EX groups exhibited less anxiety‐like behavior, indicating a beneficial delayed main effect of exercise. There was a beneficial main effect of food restriction upon cognition, as the FR group showed cognition superior to CONs' at P44–46 and P54–56, while the EX + FR animals also showed enhanced spatial learning at P54–56. EX + FR animals with best adaptation to the feeding schedule showed the best spatial learning performance but with a delay. The EX group exhibited only a transient improvement. These findings indicate that FR, EX, and EX + FR in mid‐adolescence are all beneficial in reducing anxiety‐like behavior and improving spatial cognition but with subtle differences in the timing of their manifestation, possibly reflecting the protracted maturation of the hippocampus.

中文翻译：

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青春期限食和运动体验对雌性大鼠空间学习和野外探索的影响

海马执行多种功能：背侧空间认知 (DH) 和腹侧情绪驱动行为调节 (VH)。以前，我们发现雌性大鼠的 DH 和 VH 锥体神经元的树突在青春期仍在强劲发育，并因食物限制和车轮上的自愿运动而发生改变。我们测试了青春期的这种解剖学变化是否会影响焦虑样行为和空间认知。对四组雌性大鼠的这些行为进行了评估：从出生后第 36-44 天 (P) 36-44 (EX) 开始，笼子里有轮子；从 P40 到 44 (FR) 每天食物访问限制为 1 小时的人；EX从P36到44，结合FR从P40到44，我们称之为EX+FR；和控制，CON（无 EX，无 FR）。在 P47-49（食物限制动物恢复体重的年龄）或 P54-56 进行了焦虑样行为的开放现场测试和空间认知的主动地点回避测试，以确定更持久的影响。EX 和 FR 组的焦虑样行为在 P47-49 时升高，但 EX + FR 组没有。到 P54-56，EX + FR 和 EX 组表现出较少的焦虑样行为，表明运动的延迟主效应是有益的。食物限制对认知有一个有益的主要影响，因为 FR 组在 P44-46 和 P54-56 表现出优于 CON 的认知，而 EX + FR 动物在 P54-56 也表现出增强的空间学习。EX + FR 动物对喂养计划的适应最好，表现出最好的空间学习表现，但有延迟。EX组仅表现出短暂的改善。这些发现表明，青春期中期的 FR、EX 和 EX + FR 均有助于减少焦虑样行为和改善空间认知，但其表现时间存在细微差异，可能反映了海马体的长期成熟。