Nicotine improves ethanol-induced memory impairment: the role of dorsal hippocampal NMDA receptors.
OBJECTIVE
The current study was undertaken to determine the role of dorsal hippocampal N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors in nicotine's effect on impairment of memory by ethanol.


METHODS
Adult male mice were cannulated in the CA1 regions of dorsal hippocampi and trained on a passive avoidance learning task for memory assessment.


RESULTS
We found that pre-training intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of ethanol (0.5 and 1g/kg) decreased memory retrieval when tested 24h later. Pre-test administration of ethanol reversed the decrease in inhibitory avoidance response induced by pre-training ethanol. Similar to ethanol, pre-test administration of nicotine (0.125-0.75 mg/kg, s.c.) prevented impairment of memory by pre-training ethanol. In the animals that received ethanol (1g/kg, i.p) before training and tested following intra-CA1 administration of different doses of NMDA (0.0005-0.005 microg/mouse), no significant change was observed in the retrieval latencies. Co-administration of the same doses of NMDA with an ineffective dose of nicotine (0.125 mg/kg, s.c.) significantly improved the memory retrieval and mimicked the effects of pre-test administration of a higher dose of nicotine. Pre-test intra-CA1 microinjection of MK-801 (0.25-1 microg/mouse), which had no effect alone, in combination with an effective dose of nicotine (0.75 mg/kg, s.c.) prevented the improving effect of nicotine on memory impaired by pre-training ethanol. Moreover, intra-CA1 microinjection of MK-801 reversed the NMDA-induced potentiation of the nicotine response.


CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest the importance of NMDA glutamate system(s) in the CA1 regions of dorsal hippocampus for improving the effect of nicotine on the ethanol-induced amnesia.
Rezayof
Ameneh
A
Department of Animal Biology, School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. rezayof@khayam.ut.ac.ir
Shirazi-Zand
Zahra
Z
Zarrindast
Mohammad-Reza
MR
Nayer-Nouri
Touraj
T
D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000494:pharmacology; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate / Q000494:pharmacology; D000431:Ethanol / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000494:pharmacology; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D016202:N-Methylaspartate / Q000494:pharmacology; D009538:Nicotine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000494:pharmacology; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000819:agonists / Q000276:immunology*
D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D000431:Ethanol; D016202:N-Methylaspartate; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate; D009538:Nicotine