title: Memantine and recognition memory: possible facilitation of its behavioral effects by the nitric oxide (NO) donor molsidomine.
abstract: The effects of the non-competitive N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist memantine on recognition memory were investigated in the rat by using the object recognition task. In addition, a possible interaction between memantine and the nitric oxide (NO) donor molsidomine in antagonizing extinction of recognition memory was also evaluated utilizing the same behavioral procedure. In a first dose-response study, post-training administration of memantine (10 and 20, but not 3 mg/kg) antagonized recognition memory deficits in the rat, suggesting that memantine modulates storage and/or retrieval of information. In a subsequent study, combination of sub-threshold doses of memantine (3 mg/kg) and the NO donor molsidomine (1 mg/kg) counteracted delay-dependent impairments in the same task. Neither memantine (3 mg/kg) nor molsidomine (1 mg/kg) alone reduced object recognition performance deficits. The present findings indicate a) that memantine is involved in recognition memory and b) support a functional interaction between memantine and molsidomine on recognition memory mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Thessaly, 22, Papakiriazi str., 412-22 Larissa, Greece. npitsikas@med.uth.gr
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pitsikas
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sakellaridis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004347:Drug Interactions; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D005108:Extinction, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D008559:Memantine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008981:Molsidomine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018697:Nootropic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000187:drug effects*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors; D018697:Nootropic Agents; D008981:Molsidomine; D008559:Memantine