title: Effects of cholinergic drugs and cerebral metabolic activators on memory impairment in old rats.
abstract: Age-related changes in the acquisition and retention of memory based on the step-through active avoidance response were studied in rats and the effects of cholinergic drugs and cerebral metabolic activators on memory impairment in old rats were also tested. Six- and 12-month-old rats showed lower rates of acquisition of the active avoidance response than did 2-month-old rats. In addition, the retention of the active avoidance response in 6- and 12-month-old rats diminished rather rapidly compared with that observed in 2-month-old rats. Intraventricular injection of acetylcholine at doses of 20 and 50 ng caused a significant improvement of memory impairment in old rats. Physostigmine and arecoline also caused a significant ameliorating effect at doses of 0.02 and 0.05 mg/kg i.p. and 0.2 and 0.5 mg/kg i.p., respectively. Hopantenate calcium (100 mg/kg, p.o.), idebenone (20 and 50 mg/kg, i.p.), indeloxazine (50 mg/kg, p.o.) and DM-9384 (30 mg/kg, p.o.) also proved useful to improve memory impairment in old rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Japan.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kamei
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tsujimoto
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tasaka
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D000818:Animals; D016227:Benzoquinones / Q000494:pharmacology; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D002491:Central Nervous System Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D009025:Morpholines / Q000494:pharmacology; D010205:Pantothenic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D010277:Parasympathomimetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011760:Pyrrolidinones / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D014451:Ubiquinone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D016227:Benzoquinones; D002491:Central Nervous System Agents; D009025:Morpholines; D010277:Parasympathomimetics; D011760:Pyrrolidinones; D014451:Ubiquinone; C016030:pantogab; D010205:Pantothenic Acid; C058876:nefiracetam; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; C020852:indeloxazine; C036619:idebenone; D000109:Acetylcholine