title: Effect of acetaminophen, a cyclooxygenase inhibitor, on Morris water maze task performance in mice.
abstract: Although the mechanism of action of acetaminophen (AAP) is not fully understood, some studies suggest that AAP and phenacetin (PHE) are selective cyclooxygenase (COX)-3 inhibitors. To examine the participation of COX-3 in memory formation, water maze performance was studied in mice treated with AAP, PHE or other COX inhibitors. Mice received intraperitoneal injections of drugs immediately after each training session. Administration of high-dose AAP [302.3 mg/kg (IC50 for COX-2)] or PHE [179.2 mg/kg (IC50 for COX-2)] and of non-specific (indomethacin: 20 mg/kg) or specific COX-2 (NS-398: 10 mg/kg) inhibitor impaired the performance in hidden platform (HP) not visible platform (VP) tasks, whereas low-dose (15.1 mg/kg) AAP facilitated performance in HP and VP tasks. The facilitation of performance by low-dose AAP was reversed by co-administration with a 5-HT(1/2) receptor antagonist (methysergide: 0.47 mg/kg). The middle-dose [69.5 mg/kg (IC50 for COX-3)] of AAP, the PHE [17.9 mg/kg (IC50 for COX-3)] and a specific COX-1 inhibitor (piroxicam: 10-20 mg/kg) did not influence performance in either task. These results suggest that the memory impairment by high-dose AAP and PHE and facilitation of performance by low-dose AAP could involve endogenous COX-2 and serotonergic neuronal activity, but not COX-3, respectively.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Pharmacology, Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ishida
authors.forename: Tomoaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Irifune
authors.forename: Koh-ichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Norifumi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Takashige
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nishikawa
mesh_terms: D000082:Acetaminophen / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D051545:Cyclooxygenase 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D052246:Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D020128:Inhibitory Concentration 50; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008784:Methysergide / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D010615:Phenacetin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D052246:Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors; D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists; D000082:Acetaminophen; D051545:Cyclooxygenase 1; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases; C466421:cyclooxygenase-3; D010615:Phenacetin; D008784:Methysergide