title: Nimodipine counteracts corticosterone-induced habituation impairments.
abstract: Corticosterone or placebo sustained-release pellets (4 pellets of 200 mg each, released over 90 days) were implanted subcutaneously in young Fischer-344 rats, fed with either regular food or with food containing 860 ppm of nimodipine. Following 2 weeks of treatment, the habituation of the rats to a new environment was studied. On the first test day, placebo-implanted rats explored the new environment and exhibited a characteristic habituation. On the second test day, 48 hr later, low activity was measured in the already familiar environment. This habituation was absent in corticosterone-implanted rats fed with regular food. However, corticosterone-implanted rats fed with food containing nimodipine behaved during the second test similarly to the placebo-implanted group. The data indicated that the behavioral deficit, induced in Fischer-344 rats by the high corticosterone levels, was reversed by the nimodipine treatment. Thus, nimodipine may be useful in counteracting certain prolonged stress-related cognitive impairments.
authors.affiliation: Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dachir
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Robinzon
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Grauer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Levy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D006185:Habituation, Psychophysiologic / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D009553:Nimodipine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010919:Placebos; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D010919:Placebos; D009553:Nimodipine; D003345:Corticosterone