title: Apamin improves spatial navigation in medial septal-lesioned mice.
abstract: We investigated the effects of acute i.p. injections of the Ca2+-dependent K+ channel blocker, apamin, on water maze spatial navigation, Y-maze and passive avoidance behavior in intact and medial septal-lesioned mice. Apamin 0.02, 0.06 or 0.2 mg/kg (i.p.) administered 30 min before or immediately after the training did not affect the performance of intact mice. Apamin 0.02 or 0.06 mg/kg (i.p.) administered immediately after the daily training did not affect the performance of medial septal-lesioned mice. Apamin 0.02 and 0.06 mg/kg (i.p.) administered 30 min before daily training reversed the navigation failure present in medial septal-lesioned mice during the initial and reversal learning stages of the water maze task. Apamin had no effect on the cognitive performance in Y-maze or passive avoidance tests. The results indicate that blockade of Ca2+-dependent K+ channels may facilitate acquisition of spatial navigation performance, but has no effect on consolidation, inhibitory avoidance and spontaneous alternation behavior in mice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience and Neurology, University of Kuopio, Finland. ikonen@jalus.uku.fi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ikonen
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Riekkinen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001030:Apamin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D012686:Septal Nuclei / Q000502:physiology*; D013037:Spatial Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D013550:Swimming
chemical_list: D001030:Apamin