Centrally administered tumor necrosis factor-alpha facilitates the avoidance performance of Sprague-Dawley rats.
In addition to their immunological functions, recent research has indicated that the pro-inflammatory cytokines can influence learning and memory processes. We have previously shown that a peripheral injection of TNFalpha facilitates the acquisition of a leverpress avoidance task 24 h post-injection. Because the improved acquisition is presumably mediated by central changes, the current experiment involved directly injecting TNFalpha into the third ventricle 24 h prior to training. The data indicate that low (20 ng) but not high (40 ng) doses of TNFalpha produced improved avoidance performance. Results are discussed in terms of possible monoaminergic sensitization induced by TNFalpha and the relationship of this to acquisition of the avoidance response.
Brennan
Francis X
FX
Medical Research (151), VA Medical Center, and Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. Brennan_f@mail.trc.upenn.edu
Tieder
J Bernard
JB
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004924:Escape Reaction / Q000187:drug effects*; D007276:Injections, Intraventricular / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013997:Time Factors; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000378:metabolism
D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha