Selegiline protects against recognition memory impairment induced by neonatal iron treatment.
Excess of iron in the brain has been implicated in the pathogenesis of several human neurodegenerative diseases, for example Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. It has been shown that the neonatal period is critical for the establishment of normal iron content in the adult brain. Moreover, it is known that aging alters the cerebral distribution of this metal. We have recently described that neonatal administration of iron severely impaired novel object recognition memory in rats. The aim of the present study was to determine whether selegiline, a monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor known for its neuroprotective properties, could protect rats against cognitive impairment induced by neonatal administration of iron. In the first experiment, male Wistar rats received vehicle (5% sorbitol in water) or iron (10.0 mg/kg) orally from postnatal days 12 to 14 and saline (0.9% NaCl) or selegiline (1.0 or 10.0 mg/kg) intraperitoneally for 21 days, starting 24 h before the first iron dosing. In the second experiment, rats were given either vehicle or iron (10.0 mg/kg) orally from postnatal days 12 to 14 followed by saline or selegiline (1.0 or 10.0 mg/kg) intraperitoneally for 21 days, starting when rats reached adulthood (50th day after birth). Iron-treated rats given selegiline in both doses showed no deficits in recognition memory. Rats receiving iron but no selegiline presented memory deficits. This is the first study reporting the reversion of iron-induced memory impairment, supporting the view that our model can be considered as a useful tool in the search for new drugs with neuroprotective and/or memory enhancing properties.
de Lima
Maria Noemia Martins
MN
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Gerontologia Biomédica, Instituto de Geriatria e Gerontologia, Hospital São Lucas, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, 90619-900 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Laranja
Daniela Comparsi
DC
Caldana
Fábio
F
Grazziotin
Manoela Michelon
MM
Garcia
Vanessa Athaíde
VA
Dal-Pizzol
Felipe
F
Bromberg
Elke
E
Schröder
Nadja
N
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D007501:Iron / Q000633:toxicity*; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000187:drug effects*; D012642:Selegiline / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D012642:Selegiline; D007501:Iron