Activation of G-protein-coupled receptor 30 is sufficient to enhance spatial recognition memory in ovariectomized rats

• Estradiol treatment enhanced spatial recognition memory in ovariectomized rats.
• G-1 treatment enhanced spatial recognition memory in ovariectomized rats.
• Neither estradiol nor G-1 impacted levels of activity in ovariectomized rats.

In ovariectomized rats, administration of estradiol, or selective estrogen receptor agonists that activate either the α or β isoforms, have been shown to enhance spatial cognition on a variety of learning and memory tasks, including those that capitalize on the preference of rats to seek out novelty. Although the effects of the putative estrogen G-protein-coupled receptor 30 (GPR30) on hippocampus-based tasks have been reported using food-motivated tasks, the effects of activation of GPR30 receptors on tasks that depend on the preference of rats to seek out spatial novelty remain to be determined. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to determine if short-term treatment of ovariectomized rats with G-1, an agonist for GPR30, would mimic the effects on spatial recognition memory observed following short-term estradiol treatment. In Experiment 1, ovariectomized rats treated with a low dose (1 μg) of estradiol 48 h and 24 h prior to the information trial of a Y-maze task exhibited a preference for the arm associated with the novel environment on the retention trial conducted 48 h later. In Experiment 2, treatment of ovariectomized rats with G-1 (25 μg) 48 h and 24 h prior to the information trial of a Y-maze task resulted in a greater preference for the arm associated with the novel environment on the retention trial. Collectively, the results indicated that short-term treatment of ovariectomized rats with a GPR30 agonist was sufficient to enhance spatial recognition memory, an effect that also occurred following short-term treatment with a low dose of estradiol.