title: An inverted U-shaped curve for heptylphysostigmine on radial maze performance in rats: comparison with other cholinesterase inhibitors.
abstract: The potential of heptylphysostigmine tartrate (pyrrolo [2,3b] indol-5-ol, 3,3a,8,8a-hexahydro-1,3a,8-trimethylheptylcarbamate [ester, (3aS-cis)]) (MF201), a new second-generation cholinesterase inhibitor, to antagonize scopolamine-induced amnesia in rats was assessed in an 8-arm radial maze. Upon completing the training session, the rats were orally administered increasing doses of MF201 (2, 3, 4, 6 and 8 mg/kg) 60 min prior to a s.c. injection of scopolamine (0.25 mg/kg). 9-Amino-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroamino-acridine hydrochloride hydrate (tacrine) (0.25, 0.37, 0.5, 1 and 2 mg/kg), 1-benzil-4-[(5,6-dimethoxy-1-indanon)-2-yl]-methyl piperidine (E2020) (0.125, 0.18, 0.25 and 0.5 mg/kg) and physostigmine (0.15, 0.25, 0.5 and 1 mg/kg) were orally administered and rats were tested in the same task. As previously described, scopolamine induced an impairment in radial maze performance, measured in terms of total number of errors, total time taken to complete the task and the percentage of amnesic animals. The reversal of scopolamine-induced impairment was characterized by the presence of an inverted U-shaped dose-response curve. A significant antagonistic effect was achieved with a dose (mg/kg) of 0.25 for E2020, 0.5 for tacrine and physostigmine and 3, 4 and 6 for MF201, the latter manifesting a broader spectrum of activity (3-6 mg/kg). While the maximal active doses restored the scopolamine-induced modified pattern of arm entry, they were ineffective in reducing hypermotility, suggesting the drugs have a specific effect on cognitive function.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pharmacology, Faculty of Mathematical, Physical and Natural Sciences, University of Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Braida
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Paladini
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Griffini
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lamperti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maggi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sala
mesh_terms: D000647:Amnesia / Q000139:chemically induced; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000077265:Donepezil; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D007189:Indans / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D018727:Muscarinic Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D010830:Physostigmine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D010880:Piperidines / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012601:Scopolamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D013619:Tacrine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D007189:Indans; D018727:Muscarinic Antagonists; D010880:Piperidines; D013619:Tacrine; C052450:physostigmine heptyl; D000077265:Donepezil; D010830:Physostigmine; D012601:Scopolamine