title: Combined pCPA and muscarinic antagonist treatment produces a deficit in rat water maze acquisition.
abstract: A 3-day treatment with p-chlorophenylalanine (pCPA, 100 mg/kg/day) produced a significant decrease (63-89%) in 5-HT levels in both the hippocampus and the cortex of rats, while noradrenaline, adrenaline, and dopamine levels were unaffected. Treatment with pCPA alone did not affect the acquisition of a spatial learning task in the water maze. Treatment with low doses of either scopolamine (0.25 mg/kg) or atropine (10 mg/kg) was also insufficient to cause a significant impairment of water maze acquisition. However, a combined treatment of a 3-day pCPA regimen with the low dose of atropine or scopolamine produced a significant deficit in the acquisition of a water maze task.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, University of Bradford, West Yorkshire, UK.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Harder
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Costall
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001285:Atropine / Q000494:pharmacology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003864:Depression, Chemical; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004563:Electrochemistry; D010134:Fenclonine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D018727:Muscarinic Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D012601:Scopolamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism; D018490:Serotonin Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D018727:Muscarinic Antagonists; D018490:Serotonin Agents; D012701:Serotonin; D001285:Atropine; D012601:Scopolamine; D010134:Fenclonine; D004298:Dopamine; D009638:Norepinephrine