title: Effect of bicuculline and angiotensin II fragment 3-7 on learning and memory processes in rats chronically treated with ethanol.
abstract: The aim of this study was to determine the possible influence of bicuculline, the antagonist of GABA-A receptor on behavioral activity (recall, acquisition of conditioned reflexes) of angiotension II fragment 3-7 (A II 3-7) in rats chronically treated with ethanol. Long term (9 weeks) ethanol intoxication profoundly impaired learning and memory processes in all testes used. The GABA-A receptor antagonist bicuculline (0.5 mg/kg ip) did not influence exploratory and motor activity in the control rats, but we observed tendency (without significance) to decrease the locomotor activity, in the alcohol-intoxicated groups of animals, when the drug was injected together with A II 3-7 (2 microgram icv). Bicuculline did not influence retrieval process in passive avoidance recall in both investigated groups, and when the drug was given together with AII 3-7 significantly enhanced its action in the control group and in rats chronically treated with ethanol. Bicuculline significantly improved acquisition in the active avoidance test in the control and alcohol-intoxicated groups. Bicuculline injected together with A II 3-7 significantly decreased its action in the control group. Coadministration of bicuculline with A II 3-7 did not significantly change the activity of A II 3-7 in the acquisition of active avoidance test in the alcohol-intoxicated groups of rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Medical University of Białystok, Poland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kuziemka-Leska
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Car
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wiśniewski
mesh_terms: D000804:Angiotensin II / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D001640:Bicuculline / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D018756:GABA Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D058787:GABA-A Receptor Antagonists; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D018756:GABA Antagonists; D058787:GABA-A Receptor Antagonists; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A; D000804:Angiotensin II; C069545:angiotensin II (3-7); D000431:Ethanol; D001640:Bicuculline