title: The effects of guanfacine, alpha-2 agonist, on the performance of young and aged rats in spatial navigation task.
abstract: The aim of the present experiment was to study the effects of a low dose (0.001 mg/kg) of guanfacine, alpha-2 agonist, on the acquisition and retention of a water maze task measuring spatial reference memory in young and aged rats. Aged rats were impaired in the acquisition of this task. Both young and aged rats treated with guanfacine had shorter escape latencies than their saline treated counterparts. However, guanfacine treatment increased the speed of swimming in aged rats. According to the results of the probe trial, guanfacine may slightly improve the acquisition/retention of water maze task in young rats, whereas it may slightly impair the acquisition/retention of aged rats. The results suggest that a low dose of guanfacine administered peripherally may have different effects on young and aged rats in water maze performance, and a low dose of guanfacine does not improve spatial reference memory in aged rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sirviö
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Riekkinen
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Vajanto
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Koivisto
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Riekkinen
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects*; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004924:Escape Reaction / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D016316:Guanfacine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000187:drug effects*; D009949:Orientation / Q000187:drug effects*; D011340:Problem Solving / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects; D011941:Receptors, Adrenergic / Q000187:drug effects*; D012153:Retention, Psychology / Q000187:drug effects; D013550:Swimming
chemical_list: D011941:Receptors, Adrenergic; D016316:Guanfacine