Hippocampal changes in STZ-model of Alzheimer’s disease are dependent on sex

• Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has prevalence dependent on gender.
• We investigated alterations dependent on sex in a streptozotocin model of AD in rats.
• Hippocampal parameters were investigated 2, 4 and 8 weeks after streptozotocin.
• Cholinergic neurons and glucose uptake decrease were dependent on sex.
• S100B alteration in the hippocampus were also dependent on sex, but not GFAP.

The majority of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) cases are sporadic and aging is the major risk factor for developing the disease, affecting more women than men. In spite of different gender prevalence, most experimental studies in animal models have been performed in male. This study investigates the streptozotocin (STZ)-induced AD model at three different times (2, 4 and 8 weeks afterwards) and in male and female rats, evaluating cognitive deficit, cholinergic neurotransmission, glucose uptake, glutathione content and specific glial markers (GFAP and S100B protein) in the hippocampus of the rat. Our data reinforce the relevance of alterations in STZ model of dementia, reported in the genesis and/or progression of AD such as cholinergic deficit and glucose uptake decrease. All alterations in these parameters (except GFAP) were dependent on sex. It is unclear, at this moment, which alterations are due to sex steroid modulation. In spite of limitations of this experimental model, these data may contribute to understand AD susceptibility and progression dependent on sex.