title: Methylphenidate affects memory, brain-derived neurotrophic factor immunocontent and brain acetylcholinesterase activity in the rat.
abstract: Methylphenidate, a psychostimulant that affects both dopaminergic and noradrenergic systems, is one of the most frequently prescribed treatments for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. The present study investigated the effects of chronic administration of methylphenidate to juvenile rats on spatial memory, brain-derived neurotrophic factor immunocontent and acetylcholinesterase activity in hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. Rats received intraperitoneal injections of methylphenidate (2.0mg/kg) once a day, from the 15th to the 45th day of age or an equivalent volume of 0.9% saline solution (controls). Twenty-four hours after the last injection, animals were subjected to testing in the Morris water maze. After that, animals were sacrificed and hippocampus and prefrontal cortex were dissected out for determination of brain-derived neurotrophic factor immunocontent and acetylcholinesterase activity. Chronic administration of methylphenidate provoked cognitive impairments on spatial reference and working memory tasks. A reduction on brain-derived neurotrophic factor immunocontent and increased acetylcholinesterase activity in prefrontal cortex, but not in hippocampus, of rats treated with methylphenidate were also observed. These results suggest that the deficit in spatial memory may be associated to decreased brain-derived neurotrophic factor immunocontent and increased acetylcholinesterase in prefrontal cortex of juvenile rats subjected to methylphenidate administration.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Neuroproteção e Doenças Metabólicas, Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Emilene B S
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Scherer
authors.forename: Maira J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: da Cunha
authors.forename: Cristiane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Matté
authors.forename: Felipe
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schmitz
authors.forename: Carlos A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Netto
authors.forename: Angela T S
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Wyse
mesh_terms: D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D000367:Age Factors; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008774:Methylphenidate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013037:Spatial Behavior / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D008774:Methylphenidate; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase