title: 2-phenylethynyl-butyltellurium improves memory in mice.
abstract: The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of 2-phenylethynyl-butyltellurium (PEBT), an organotellurium compound, at doses of 5 and 10 mg/kg on memory, employing the step-down inhibitory avoidance task in mice. Moreover, the involvement of glutamate uptake and release in cerebral cortex and hippocampus of mice was investigated. A single oral administration (p.o.) of PEBT at the dose of 10 mg/kg 1h before training (acquisition), immediately after training (consolidation) or 1 h before the test session (retrieval) of the step-down inhibitory avoidance task increased the step-through latency time in comparison to the control mice. In the open-field test, no significant differences in the number of crossings and rearings were observed among groups. The [(3)H]glutamate uptake by cerebral cortex and hippocampal slices of mice was significantly inhibited after 1h of treatment with PEBT. After 24h of PEBT exposure, only the hippocampal [(3)H]glutamate uptake was inhibited. The [(3)H]glutamate release by cerebral cortex and hippocampal synaptosomes of mice was not altered. These results suggest that PEBT improved memory stages (acquisition, consolidation and retrieval) in the step-down inhibitory avoidance task in mice. The improvement of memory by PEBT seems most likely to be mediated through an interaction with the amino acid transporters of the glutamatergic system.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Cristina Guerra
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.forename: Carmine Inês
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Acker
authors.forename: Bibiana Mozzaquatro
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Gai
authors.forename: José Sebastião
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: dos Santos Neto
authors.forename: Cristina Wayne
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Nogueira
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D051379:Mice; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: C573197:2-phenylethynyl-butyltellurium; D009942:Organometallic Compounds