title: Effects of 4-methylcatechol on spatial memory and depression.
abstract: Emerging evidence suggests that dementia and depression, two clinical symptoms commonly associated, share the disorder of neuroplasticity in their neural/molecular pathology. Maintenance of sufficient neurostructural remodelling/neurotrophic activity may be central to cognition/antidementia and a balanced mood. Here, we show that intra-cerebroventricular (i.c.v.) 4-methylcatechol (4-MC), a stimulator of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression and an indirect PKC activator significantly enhanced spatial learning and memory in rats and produced an antidepressant effect. Both effects were eliminated by co-administration of function-blocking anti-BDNF antibody. These results further support the hypothesis that memory processing and mood regulation share common mechanisms and thus therapeutic targets. BDNF enhancers may represent one of the new drug strategies in the fighting against depression associated with memory impairments.
authors.affiliation: Blânchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute, Rockville, Maryland, USA. mksun@brni-jhu.org
authors.forename: Miao-Kun
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Daniel L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Alkon
mesh_terms: D000339:Affect / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000502:physiology; D002396:Catechols / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013028:Space Perception / Q000187:drug effects*; D013550:Swimming / Q000523:psychology
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D002396:Catechols; C018599:4-methylcatechol