Neonatal 192 IgG-saporin lesions of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons selectively impair response to spatial novelty in adult rats.
The role of the developing cholinergic basal forebrain system on cognitive behaviors was examined in 7 day-old rats by giving lesions with intraventricular injections of 192 IgG-saporin or saline. Rats were subjected to passive avoidance on postnatal days (PND) 22-23, water maze testing on PND 50-60, and a open-field test (in which reactions to spatial and object novelty were measured) on PND 54. Behavioral effects of the lesions were evident only in the open-field test with 5 objects. Unlike controls, the lesioned rats did not detect a spatial change after a displacement of 2 of the 5 objects. Control and lesioned rats, however, showed comparable novelty responses to an unfamiliar object. Lesion effectiveness was confirmed by 75% and 84% decreases in choline acetyltransferase activity in cortex and hippocampus. These results suggest that the developing cholinergic system may be involved in spatial information processing or attention to spatial modifications.
Ricceri
L
L
Section of Comparative Psychology, Laboratorio di Fisiopatologia di Organo e di Sistema, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy. lricceri@iss.it
Usiello
A
A
Valanzano
A
A
Calamandrei
G
G
Frick
K
K
Berger-Sweeney
J
J
D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D018678:Cholinergic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D000922:Immunotoxins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007276:Injections, Intraventricular; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009699:N-Glycosyl Hydrolases; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects; D009949:Orientation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D016548:Prosencephalon / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D054789:Ribosome Inactivating Proteins, Type 1; D000076985:Saporins; D013028:Space Perception / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
C085696:192 IgG-saporin; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D018678:Cholinergic Agents; D000922:Immunotoxins; D054789:Ribosome Inactivating Proteins, Type 1; D009699:N-Glycosyl Hydrolases; D000076985:Saporins