title: Cognitive enhancing properties of beta-CCM infused into the nucleus basalis magnocellularis of the rat.
abstract: Peripheral administration of various benzodiazepine derivatives or beta-carbolines (inverse agonists at benzodiazepine receptors), has been shown to affect memory. In this study, the effect of local infusion of a beta-carboline-methyl beta carboline-3-carboxylate (beta-CCM) into the nucleus basalis magnocellularis (NBM) of rats was examined in a two-trial recognition task. The results show that beta-CMM (3 micrograms/0.5 microliter) enhances recognition performance when injected both before or immediately after the acquisition trial. These effects appear to be mediated by a benzodiazepine (BZD) receptor since they were blocked by pretreatment with Ro 15-1788, a BZD receptor antagonist. This study supports the involvement of the NBM in cognitive processes, and demonstrates that these processes can be influenced by alteration of GABAergic neurotransmission.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Psychobiologie des Comportements Adaptatifs, INSERM Unité 259, Université de Bordeaux II, France.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Mayo
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dellu
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cherkaoui
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chapouthier
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Dodd
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Le Moal
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Simon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002243:Carbolines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects*; D005442:Flumazenil / Q000494:pharmacology; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A / Q000187:drug effects*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013377:Substantia Innominata / Q000187:drug effects*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D002243:Carbolines; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A; D005442:Flumazenil; C036150:beta-carboline-3-carboxylic acid methyl ester