The acute effect of p-chloroamphetamine on the retention of fear conditioning in the rat: evidence for a role of serotonin in memory consolidation.
The acute effect of the 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) releasing compound p-chloroamphetamine (PCA) on the acquisition and retention of shock-elicited fear conditioning to the contextual cues of a normal two-compartment shuttlebox in the rat was studied in three experiments. PCA (5 mg/kg) did not impair the acquisition of fear conditioning (Experiment 1). PCA, administered either 30 or 60 min before fear conditioning, caused a total blockade of fear retention when tested 24 h after acquisition. This retrograde amnesic effect was blocked by the 5-HT uptake blocker zimelidine (10 mg/kg) when PCA was injected 60 min before shock. These findings indicate that 5-HT neurones, possibly in the forebrain, may exert an inhibitory influence upon the long-term aspects of information consolidation in memory.
D000662:Amphetamines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects*; D004597:Electroshock; D005239:Fear / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D012153:Retention, Psychology / Q000187:drug effects*; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism; D010133:p-Chloroamphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology*
D000662:Amphetamines; D012701:Serotonin; D010133:p-Chloroamphetamine