title: Baclofen prevents hypoxia-induced consolidation impairment for passive avoidance in rats.
abstract: We investigated the effects of baclofen, a selective GABA-B receptor agonist, on certain behaviours in rats after short-term hypoxia, as a model of experimentally induced amnesia. Baclofen given intraperitoneally (i.p.) in a dose of 0.25 mg kg(-1) increased the number of crossings and bar approaches in the open field, but was ineffective in the passive avoidance tests; it also shortened the time spent in open arms and reduced the number of open arms entries in an elevated 'plus' maze, being a measure of anxiety. Hypoxia (2% O2, 98% N2) within 4 min profoundly impaired locomotor activity, consolidation and retrieval of conditioned responses, and exhibited a proaxiogenic effect in the elevated 'plus' maze in rats--it reduced the time spent in open arms and the number of entries to closed and open arms. Baclofen's effect on locomotor and exploratory activity was substantially impaired after hypoxia, i.e. rats exhibited a significant reduction in those activities. This agonist of GABA-B receptor used before hypoxia significantly improved consolidation, but had no effect on retrieval. In the elevated 'plus' maze rats pre-treated with baclofen and then subjected to hypoxia prolonged the time spent in open arms, reduced the time spent in closed arms, and increased the number of entries to the arms, i.e. exhibited anxiolytic effect. We conclude, therefore, that baclofen improved consolidation of passive avoidance in rats undergoing hypoxia.
authors.affiliation: Medical Academy of Białystok, Department of Pharmacology, Mickiewicza 2c, 15-222 Białystok, Poland.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Car
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Oksztel
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nadlewska
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wiśniewski
mesh_terms: D000647:Amnesia / Q000503:physiopathology; D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D001418:Baclofen / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D018755:GABA Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D018755:GABA Agonists; D001418:Baclofen