title: Influence on memory of posttraining or pre-test injections of ACTH, vasopressin, epinephrine, and beta-endorphin, and their interaction with naloxone.
abstract: The intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of ACTH 1-24 (0.2 microgram/kg), lysine--vasopressin (10.0 micrograms/kg) or epinephrine HCl (5.0 micrograms/kg) shortly after training or prior to testing caused memory facilitation of a step-down inhibitory avoidance task in rats, acquired with low intensity training footshocks (0.3 mA, 60 Hz). Naloxone HCl (0.4 mg/kg) potentiated their posttraining effect, but antagonized their pre-test effect. Naloxone on its own caused retrograde memory facilitation but had no effect on the test session. Posttraining human beta-endorphin (1.0 microgram/kg) was amnestic, and its pre-test administration enhanced retention. Both effects were naloxone-reversible. Neither the pre-test facilitation caused by beta-endorphin nor those caused by any of the other drugs (which are possible releasers of endogenous beta-endorphin) were observed in animals in which the influence of endogenous opioids was prevented at the posttraining period by the administration of naloxone. These results are compatible with, and considerably strengthen, the previously advanced hypothesis that learning of this task, and possibly others, depends on a state induced by beta-endorphin after training, and that it would normally be dissociated because this peptide is normally not released during test sessions. In addition, the posttraining facilitation caused by ACTH, vasopressin, and epinephrine stands out as an effect separate from, and in fact normally hindered by, posttraining beta-endorphin release.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Izquierdo
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Dias
mesh_terms: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D003366:Cosyntropin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004723:Endorphins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D008236:Lypressin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000187:drug effects*; D009270:Naloxone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects; D012153:Retention, Psychology / Q000187:drug effects; D001615:beta-Endorphin
chemical_list: D004723:Endorphins; D003366:Cosyntropin; D009270:Naloxone; D008236:Lypressin; D001615:beta-Endorphin; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D004837:Epinephrine