Variations in the content of some trace elements and macroelements in the hippocampus of rats during learning and memory retrieval after destruction of the entorhinal cortex

We studied variations in the concentration of Na, K, Ca, and Mg in the hippocampus of rats with damaged entorhinal cortex. The concentration of Mg, Na, K, and Ca remained practically unchanged, while the content of Zn and Cu increased during learning and memory retrieval in animals with damaged entorhinal cortex. Our results indicate that Zn and Cu, constituents of metalloproteins and metalloenzymes, play an important role in hippocampal function.