Different effects of postnatal day 1 versus 7 192 immunoglobulin G-saporin lesions on learning, exploratory behaviors, and neurochemistry in juvenile rats.
Passive avoidance learning and retention, as well as locomotor and exploratory behaviors, were assessed in rats after intraventricular 192 immunoglobulin G-saporin injections on either Postnatal Day 1 (PND1) or PND7. PND1-lesioned rats were not significantly impaired on acquisition or retention of passive avoidance. PND7-lesioned rats acquired the task slower than controls, but retention was not affected. PND7-lesioned rats were less exploratory than controls and showed reduced wall rearing. Histological analysis of PND1- and PND7-lesioned rats revealed no neuronal degeneration in hippocampus or cortex. There was a marked reduction of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity in the hippocampus, cortex, and septum in the PND7-lesioned rats and a slight but significant ChAT depletion in the cortex of PND1-lesioned rats. These data suggest that the cholinergic system is critical for the learning of passive avoidance and exploratory behaviors in the developing rat.
Ricceri
L
L
Laboratorio di Fisiopatologia O.S, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
Calamandrei
G
G
Berger-Sweeney
J
J
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism; D018678:Cholinergic Agents; D002799:Cholinergic Fibers / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000502:physiology; D000922:Immunotoxins; D018727:Muscarinic Antagonists; D009699:N-Glycosyl Hydrolases; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D010940:Plant Proteins; D016548:Prosencephalon / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D054789:Ribosome Inactivating Proteins, Type 1; D000076985:Saporins; D012601:Scopolamine; D013997:Time Factors
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D018678:Cholinergic Agents; D000922:Immunotoxins; D018727:Muscarinic Antagonists; D010940:Plant Proteins; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic; D054789:Ribosome Inactivating Proteins, Type 1; D012601:Scopolamine; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase; D009699:N-Glycosyl Hydrolases; D000076985:Saporins