Effects of cytidine-diphosphocholine on acetylcholine-mediated behaviors in the rat.
The phosphatidylcholine precursor, cytidine-diphosphocholine (CDP-choline), was injected intraperitoneally (IP) at the dose of 10 or 20 mg/kg/day for 20 days to 24-month-old male rats of the Sprague-Dawley strain that showed cognitive and motor deficits. The drug was also injected in animals with behavioral alterations induced pharmacologically with a single injection of the cholinergic receptor antagonist, scopolamine, with prenatal exposure to methylazoxymethanol (MAM rats), or with bilateral injections of kainic acid into the nucleus basalis magnocellularis (NBM). Learning and memory capacity of the animals, studied with tests of active and passive avoidance behavior, was improved after treatment with CDP-choline in all experimental groups. An improvement in motor performance and coordination in the rotorod and open field tests was also observed in aged rats. These results indicate that this drug affects central mechanisms involved in cognitive behaviors, probably through a cholinergic action.
Institute of Pharmacology, University of Catania Medical School, Italy.
F
F
Drago
F
F
Mauceri
L
L
Nardo
C
C
Valerio
A A
AA
Genazzani
M
M
Grassi
D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000477:Alkylating Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D000647:Amnesia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000523:psychology; D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D001479:Basal Ganglia; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects; D003566:Cytidine Diphosphate Choline / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D007267:Injections; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D007608:Kainic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D008746:Methylazoxymethanol Acetate / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D010275:Parasympathetic Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000187:drug effects; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012601:Scopolamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D013238:Stereotaxic Techniques; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects
D000477:Alkylating Agents; D003566:Cytidine Diphosphate Choline; D008746:Methylazoxymethanol Acetate; D012601:Scopolamine; C030667:methylazoxymethanol; D000109:Acetylcholine; D007608:Kainic Acid