Pretreatment with aldosterone or corticosterone blocks the memory-enhancing effects of nimodipine, captopril, CGP 37,849, and strychnine in mice.
Oral pretreatment with aldosterone or corticosterone blocked the memory-enhancing effects of the calcium antagonist nimodipine, the ACE inhibitor captopril, the NMDA blocker CGP 37,849, and the glycine antagonist strychnine in a passive-avoidance test in mice. The memory-disturbing effects of phenobarbitone, diazepam, CGP 37,849 and scopolamine were not influenced by the hormonal pretreatment. These findings could indicate the involvement of a steroid-sensitive mechanism in drug-induced improvement of memory. In the light of clinical observations showing elevated cortisol levels in Alzheimer patients, the results might also explain why only a limited number of these patients respond to therapy with memory enhancers.
Mondadori
C
C
Pharmaceuticals Division, CIBA-GEIGY Ltd, Basel, Switzerland.
Gentsch
C
C
Hengerer
B
B
Ducret
T
T
Borkowski
J
J
Racine
A
A
Lederer
R
R
Haeusler
A
A
D015763:2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D000450:Aldosterone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D002216:Captopril / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003624:Darkness; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D051379:Mice; D009553:Nimodipine / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D013331:Strychnine / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology
D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; C064539:2-amino-4-methyl-5-phosphono-3-pentenoic acid; D000450:Aldosterone; D009553:Nimodipine; D015763:2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate; D002216:Captopril; D013331:Strychnine; D003345:Corticosterone