title: The nitric oxide donor molsidomine antagonizes age-related memory deficits in the rat.
abstract: The effects of the nitric oxide (NO) donor molsidomine on aged rats' cognition were evaluated in two different behavioral tasks: the step-through passive avoidance paradigm and the object recognition test. Post-training injection of molsidomine (at 4 but not at 2 mg/kg) significantly counteracted the performance deficits displayed by old rats in both the behavioral paradigms. These results support and extend prior findings about the implication of NO in learning and memory mechanisms. In addition, for the first time, a NO donor was found to antagonize age-related memory impairments, suggesting that the integrity of the NO-ergic system may be important in brain aging processes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Thessaly, 22 Papakiriazi str., 412-22 Larissa, Greece. npitsikas@med.uth.gr
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pitsikas
authors.forename: Antonello E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Rigamonti
authors.forename: Silvano G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Cella
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sakellaridis
authors.forename: Eugenio E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Muller
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008981:Molsidomine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors; D008981:Molsidomine