Effects of the NMDA antagonists CPP and MK-801 on radial arm maze performance in rats.
The dose- and time-dependent effects of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor/channel antagonists on radial 8-arm maze performance were examined in rats. Both CPP (1.0-30 mg/kg), a competitive NMDA antagonist, and MK-801 (0.1-1.0 mg/kg), a noncompetitive NMDA antagonist, produced dose-dependent increases in the number of errors made to sample all 8 baited arms. The effective doses of both drugs produced maximal performance impairments 2 hr after IP injection, and no effects after 24 hr. In a second radial arm maze task where only 4 arms were baited, CPP (10 mg/kg) had a somewhat greater effect on the number of working memory errors than on reference memory errors. MK-801 (0.1, 0.33 mg/kg) had no effects on either this task or on a task involving a 1-hr delay between correct choices 4 and 5 on the 8 choice task. CPP (10 mg/kg), however, impaired performance on this latter task. These results indicate that doses of NMDA antagonists, sufficient to block hippocampal long-term potentiation, also disrupt radial arm maze performance.
Ward
L
L
Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Mason
S E
SE
Abraham
W C
WC
D000818:Animals; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D003986:Dibenzocycloheptenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D016202:N-Methylaspartate; D010879:Piperazines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D016037:Single-Blind Method
D003986:Dibenzocycloheptenes; D010879:Piperazines; D001224:Aspartic Acid; D016202:N-Methylaspartate; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate; C050592:3-(2-carboxypiperazin-4-yl)propyl-1-phosphonic acid