title: Effects of metrifonate on radial arm maze acquisition in middle-aged rats.
abstract: The efficacy of metrifonate, a well-tolerated cholinesterase (ChE) inhibitor, in attenuating the normal aging- and corticosterone-induced impairments of radial maze performance of rats was compared. Middle-aged Fischer 344 rats were screened for their spatial orientation performance in the Morris water escape task. Good and bad performers were selected: good performers (N= 22) were treated with subcutaneous sustained-release corticosterone pellets, resulting in hippocampal cell damage and impaired spatial orientation in the radial maze; age-induced bad performers (N = 20) were tested without additional pharmacological intervention. Metrifonate (MFT), administered daily during radial maze testing, 30 min before training, at a dose of 15 mg/kg p.o., facilitated the acquisition of the task in age-impaired rats, but not in corticosterone-impaired rats.
authors.affiliation: Israel Institute for Biological Research, Department of Pharmacology, Ness-Ziona.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dachir
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Levy
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000494:pharmacology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D014236:Trichlorfon / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D014236:Trichlorfon; D003345:Corticosterone