Rasagiline improves learning and memory in young healthy rats.
The effect of rasagiline on learning and memory in Lister-Hooded rats was investigated in this study. Two cognitive tests were used: a 24-h temporal deficit novel object recognition test and a modified water maze task. Rasagiline (0.3 and 1 mg/kg) was administered subcutaneously 15 min before the cognitive tests. In a novel object recognition test, rasagiline treatment enhanced object recognition memory. A small effect was observed with 0.3 mg/kg rasagiline; at 1 mg/kg, rasagiline-treated animals spent twice as much time exploring the novel object. On the water maze test, the use of an on-demand platform allowed adjustment of the difficulty of this spatial learning task. This enabled the detection of a small positive effect of rasagiline (1 mg/kg) on spatial learning, which was not observed in earlier reports. For the first time, our study has showed the procognitive effect of rasagiline in young healthy rats. On the basis of these findings, a monoamine oxidase-B inhibitor would seem to be a potential symptomatic treatment for cognitive impairments affecting patients with neurodegenerative disorders.
GSK R&D China, Singapore Research Centre, Biopolis at One-North, 11 Biopolis Way, Singapore 138667, Singapore.
Fong-Kuan
FK
Wong
Sherry Hung-Wah
SH
Lee
Zeenat
Z
Atcha
Agnes Bee-Leng
AB
Ong
Darrel John
DJ
Pemberton
Woei-Shin
WS
Chen
D000818:Animals; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D007189:Indans / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000187:drug effects
D007189:Indans; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; C031967:rasagiline