title: The 5-HT2 receptor antagonist ketanserine prevents electroconvulsive shock- and clonidine-induced amnesia.
abstract: The 5-HT2-selective antagonist ketanserine was examined for its ability to prevent electroconvulsive shock (ECS)- or clonidine-induced performance deficit in the passive avoidance situation (step-down) in rats. The posttrain intraperitoneal injection of ketanserine at doses of 3 and 10 mg/kg prevented the ECS- or clonidine-provoked amnesia upon retention tests given 3 h, 24 h, and 7 days after training. The present data favor the view that the selective modification of 5-HT2 receptors after training can prevent the performance deficit in step-down-trained rats and suggest a role of the 5-HTergic neurotransmitter system in memory. The results of this study further suggest that 5-HTergic receptor antagonists might be useful in treatment of cognitive disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Pharmacology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Genkova-Papazova
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lazarova-Bakarova
authors.forename: V D
authors.initials: VD
authors.lastname: Petkov
mesh_terms: D000647:Amnesia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D003000:Clonidine; D004597:Electroshock; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D007650:Ketanserin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012640:Seizures / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D012702:Serotonin Antagonists; D007650:Ketanserin; D003000:Clonidine