title: Effects of blocking nitric oxide on learning in turtles (Chrysemys picta).
abstract: Turtles (Chrysemys picta) were given the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor NW-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) or its inactive isomer NW-nitro-D-arginine methyl ester (D-NAME) and were trained on a negative patterning task or a simple go/no-go discrimination task. L-NAME impaired the learning of negative patterning but did not affect retention of the task if it had already been learned. D-NAME had no effect. Go/no-go discrimination learning was not affected by L-NAME. These findings support the notion that nitric oxide plays a role in complex configural learning in a reptile closely related to the ancestors of mammals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, St. John's University, Jamaica, NY 11439, USA.
authors.forename: Chun-I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.forename: Alice Schade
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Powers
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D002755:Choice Behavior / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D011336:Probability; D013997:Time Factors; D014426:Turtles / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester