Inhibition of catecholamine biosynthesis and memory processes.
Rats injected with 60 mg/kg of alpha-methyl tyrosine (alpha-MT) immediately after a training in a shuttle box impaired retention of conditioned avoidance response (CAR). DL-Dopa (200 mg/kg) administered 5, 30, 60, and 120 min after alpha-MT treatment counteracted the depressive effect of this drug during the retention test; at longer times it was ineffective. Post-trial injections of 600 mg/kg of diethyldithiocarbamate (DDC) impaired retention of CAR; at a lower dose (300 mg/kg) it had no effect. Administration of alpha-MT (60 mg/kg) immediately after passive avoidance training lowered memory in females but not in males. These results suggest that noradrenaline (NA) is required for memory consolidation processes for about 2 h after training.
D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000502:physiology*; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological; D004295:Dihydroxyphenylalanine / Q000494:pharmacology; D004050:Ditiocarb / Q000494:pharmacology; D004298:Dopamine / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D008781:Methyltyrosines / Q000494:pharmacology; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D012153:Retention, Psychology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors
D002395:Catecholamines; D008781:Methyltyrosines; D004295:Dihydroxyphenylalanine; D004050:Ditiocarb; D004298:Dopamine; D009638:Norepinephrine