The absence of effect of glucose on memory is associated with low susceptibility to the amnestic effects of scopolamine in a strain of mice.
In this series of experiments, we examined the ability of post-training glucose injections to improve memory of the Balb/cAnNCrlBR strain of mice for a bar-pressing task. We could not replicate this effect which has been demonstrated in many other strains of mice including Balb/cbyJ, a related strain. We found that the Balb/cAnNCrlBR strain of mice is also much less sensitive to the disrupting effects produced by pre- or post-training injections of the competitive cholinergic antagonist scopolamine. This strain also shows altered glucoregulation compared to the Balb/cbyJ strain. The absence of glucose effects on memory in Balb/cAnNCrlBR mice appears to be associated with decreased sensitivity to cholinergic antagonists. These results can be contrasted with previous ones obtained in a related strain, the Balb/cbyJ, in which glucose was shown to improve memory while scopolamine could easily disrupt memory processes. Taken together, these data provide additional indirect support for the hypothesis that glucose improvement of memory is closely linked to a functional interaction with central cholinergic systems. The comparison of these two strains could be the basis for a useful animal model to investigate the relationship between age-related changes in memory and central cholinergic function.
Messier
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School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. cmessier@uottawa.ca
D000647:Amnesia / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000523:psychology; D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005947:Glucose / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D018727:Muscarinic Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012601:Scopolamine / Q000494:pharmacology*
D001786:Blood Glucose; D018727:Muscarinic Antagonists; D012601:Scopolamine; D005947:Glucose