Can nootropic drugs be effective against the impact of ethanol teratogenicity on cognitive performance?
Rats exposed pre- (PA) and postnatally (PNA) to ethanol at a dose of 1 g/kg for 24 h developed fetal alcohol effects (FAE). This was measured using a condition-reflex method for active avoidance with punishment reinforcement (shuttle-box) in which pronounced learning and memory deficits in 3-month-old rats were found after ethanol exposure (Vaglenova and Petkov, 1998. Fetal alcohol effects in rats exposed pre- and postnatally to a low dose of ethanol. Alcohol. Clin. Exp. Res. 22(3), 697--703). In the present study the effects of piracetam (Pyramem) at a dose of 600 mg/kg body weight, aniracetam at 50 mg/kg, and meclophenoxate (Centrophenoxine) at 100 mg/kg were studied. The drugs were administered orally during 10 days to separate groups of naive and pre- and postnatally exposed to ethanol rats. All the investigated nootropic drugs showed a significant possibility to alleviate learning and memory disability of rats with FAE. Aniracetam was administered to 1-month-old rats, demonstrating a prolonged (2 months) therapeutic effect, observed in rats aged 3 months. As previously reported (Vaglenova and Petkov, 1998), between male rats with FAE and controls, 66 and 33% were 'poor learners', respectively. In all nootropic treatment groups the percentage of 'poor learners' dropped to 28%. The positive effects of piracetam, aniracetam and meclophenoxate suggest that these drugs could be used for both treatment and prophylactic of FAE-connected disturbances of cognition.
Laboratory of Experimental Psychopharmacology, Institute of Physiology, Bulgarian Academy of Science, 1113, Sofia Bulgaria. vagleju@auburn.edu
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J
Vaglenova
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V
Vesselinov Petkov
D020268:Alcohol-Induced Disorders, Nervous System / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D002504:Meclofenoxate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D018697:Nootropic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010889:Piracetam / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D011760:Pyrrolidinones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D018697:Nootropic Agents; D011760:Pyrrolidinones; C036466:aniracetam; D002504:Meclofenoxate; D010889:Piracetam