Cholesterol and Copper Affect Learning and Memory in the Rabbit

Figure 2

Mean percent (±SEM) conditioned responses to a tone conditioned stimulus as a function of eight days of pairings (sessions) of the tone and air puff to the eye for rabbits fed 2% cholesterol in their rabbit chow (Cholesterol), fed normal chow and given 0.12 parts per million copper as copper sulfate in their distilled drinking water (Copper), or fed 2% cholesterol and given 0.12 parts per million copper in their distilled drinking water (Cholesterol + Copper). The data show lower levels of trace conditioning of the nictitating membrane response in rabbits fed cholesterol and given copper in their drinking water. The data are modified from Sparks and Schreurs [46].