title: Protective effect of the calcium antagonist nimodipine on discrimination learning deficits and impaired retention behavior caused by prenatal nitrite exposure in rats.
abstract: Discrimination learning behavior and retention of a passive avoidance response were studied in male adult offspring of gestating rats exposed to drinking water containing 2 g/l sodium nitrite, throughout the second half of pregnancy. Both in an auditory and visual discrimination learning paradigm NaNO2-exposed rats were inferior to controls. The long-term retention of a passive avoidance response was also impaired. The acquisition of simple learning tasks was not significantly disturbed. The concomitant prenatal daily treatment with the calcium antagonist nimodipine in a dose of 10 mg/kg p.o. interfered with the nitrite neurotoxicity and prevented the development of adult behavioral deficits. The results support the hypothesis that Ca2+ homeostasis of neurons is an important factor for normal development of brain and behavior.
authors.affiliation: Central Research Laboratory, Postgraduate Medical University, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nyakas
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Markel
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bohus
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schuurman
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Luiten
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000187:drug effects; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects*; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000187:drug effects; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects; D009553:Nimodipine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009573:Nitrites / Q000633:toxicity*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects; D012153:Retention, Psychology / Q000187:drug effects*; D012977:Sodium Nitrite / Q000633:toxicity*; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D009573:Nitrites; D009553:Nimodipine; D012977:Sodium Nitrite; D002118:Calcium