title: p-Hydroxybenzyl alcohol attenuates learning deficits in the inhibitory avoidance task: involvement of serotonergic and dopaminergic systems.
abstract: p-Hydroxybenzyl alcohol (HBA), an aglycone of gastrodin, is an active ingredient of Gastrodia elata BLUME. In this study, we investigated the action of HBA on acquisition of an inhibitory avoidance response in rats and used piracetam as a positive control. The results indicated that scopolamine, a cholinergic receptor antagonist, injected before training impaired retention. HBA did not attenuate the scopolamine-induced impairment, but piracetam did. p-Chloroamphetamine, a serotonin releaser, injected before training impaired retention. HBA at 5 mg/kg and piracetam at 100 mg/kg could counteract the p-chloroamphetamine-induced deficit. Apomorphine, a dopaminergic receptor agonist, also impaired retention. HBA at 5 mg/kg and piracetam at 300 mg/kg could ameliorate the apomorphine-induced amnesia. The above results indicated that HBA, different from piracetam, can attenuate impairments induced by p-chloroamphetamine and apomorphine, but had no effect on impairment induced by scopolamine in an inhibitory avoidance task in rats. Such findings suggest that HBA may act through suppressing dopaminergic and serotonergic activities and thus improves learning.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chinese Pharmaceutical Sciences, China Medical College, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001058:Apomorphine / Q000494:pharmacology; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D001592:Benzyl Alcohols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000502:physiology*; D018491:Dopamine Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004597:Electroshock; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D018727:Muscarinic Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects; D012601:Scopolamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D012701:Serotonin / Q000502:physiology*; D018490:Serotonin Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D010133:p-Chloroamphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D001592:Benzyl Alcohols; D018491:Dopamine Agonists; D004338:Drug Combinations; D018727:Muscarinic Antagonists; D018490:Serotonin Agents; C018966:4-hydroxybenzyl alcohol; D012701:Serotonin; D010133:p-Chloroamphetamine; D012601:Scopolamine; D001058:Apomorphine; D004298:Dopamine