Enhancement and impairment of memory retrieval by a vasopressin metabolite: an interaction with the accessibility of the memory.
A series of 3 experiments was conducted to determine the generalizability of the improved recall seen with pretest administration of vasopressin in aversively motivated tasks. The learning paradigm selected for this purpose assessed the transmission of a food preference between rats; retention intervals of 8, 10, and 14 days were used in the 3 experiments, respectively. Pretest subcutaneous injection of a vasopressin metabolite, AVP4-9, significantly improved recall under conditions in which memory was poor in vehicle-treated rats but significantly impaired memory at a time when good recall was evident in controls. These findings support the postulate that administration of vasopressin or its metabolites modulate memory retrieval processes and suggest that the nature of this effect depends on the degree of forgetting that has occurred.
Strupp
B J
BJ
Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853.
Bunsey
M
M
Bertsche
B
B
Levitsky
D A
DA
Kesler
M
M
D000818:Animals; D001127:Arginine Vasopressin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001245:Association Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000187:drug effects; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000187:drug effects*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011945:Receptors, Angiotensin / Q000187:drug effects; D017483:Receptors, Vasopressin; D012153:Retention, Psychology / Q000187:drug effects*; D012903:Smell / Q000187:drug effects; D012931:Social Environment; D013649:Taste / Q000187:drug effects
D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011945:Receptors, Angiotensin; D017483:Receptors, Vasopressin; D001127:Arginine Vasopressin; C045881:argipressin (4-9)