title: Effects of nitric oxide synthase inhibition on spatial discrimination learning and central DA2 and mACh receptors.
abstract: Cholinergic and dopaminergic systems are involved in spatial memory and are modulated by nitric oxide (NO); NO has well documented effects on place learning in rodents. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of NOS inhibition on place learning in the water maze and to evaluate the relationships between NOS inhibition, learning performance, dopamine (DA) D2 and muscarinic acetylcholine (mACh) receptors. Male Sprague-Dawley rats received the NOS inhibitor Nomega-Nitro-l-Arginine (l-NA), or saline and were trained in the water maze. Rats that were not trained, but received the same treatments were also included. Following treatments with or without water maze training, [3H]-QNB and [3H]-spiperone binding in cortex, striatum and hippocampus were determined to assess the effects of NOS inhibition and/or learning on DA D2 and mACh receptor regulation. The overall results of the present study showed that: (1) NOS inhibition impairs performance in the MWM; (2) NOS inhibition does not affect specific binding to DA D2 (striatum and hippocampus) and mACh (cortex and hippocampus) receptors; (3) MWM training lowers D2 and mACh receptor binding in cortical regions.
authors.affiliation: Ege University, Center for Brain Research and School of Medicine, Department of Physiology, Bornova, Izmir 35100 Turkey.
authors.forename: Ersin O
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Koylu
authors.forename: Lutfiye
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kanit
authors.forename: Dilek
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Taskiran
authors.forename: Taner
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dagci
authors.forename: Burcu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Balkan
authors.forename: Sakire
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pogun
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism; D019335:Nitroarginine / Q000494:pharmacology; D011485:Protein Binding / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D011976:Receptors, Muscarinic / Q000378:metabolism*; D013037:Spatial Behavior / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2; D011976:Receptors, Muscarinic; D019335:Nitroarginine; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase