title: Acetyl-l-carnitine prevents serotonin-induced behavioural sensitization and dishabituation in Hirudo medicinalis.
abstract: Several studies suggest that acetyl-l-carnitine (ALC) might influence learning processes. Along this line of investigation, we have previously shown that ALC impaired sensitization and dishabituation induced by nociceptive stimulation of the dorsal skin of the leech Hirudo medicinalis, in the behavioural paradigm of the swim induction (SI). In previous works we showed that 5HT was involved in both sensitization and dishabituation of SI acting through the second messenger cAMP. In this work, we have reported that for given doses and temporal ranges ALC was able to block sensitization and to impair dishabituation mimicked by the injection of 5-HT or 8Br-cAMP, a membrane permeable analogue of cAMP. Our results show that a single treatment with 2mM ALC was the most effective concentration to block the onset of sensitization induced by 5-HT injection and its major effects occurred 11 days after ALC treatment. 2mM ALC also blocked sensitization induced by 8Br-cAMP injection, whereas, ALC did not completely abolish dishabituation induced by 5-HT or 8Br-cAMP injection at the tested concentrations and at every time point.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Economico-Estimative e degli Alimenti, Sezione di Chimica Bromatologica, Biochimica, Fisiologia e Nutrizione, Università degli Studi di Perugia, 06126 Perugia, Italy. traina@unipg.it
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Traina
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ristori
authors.forename: Marcello
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brunelli
authors.forename: Rossana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Scuri
mesh_terms: D015124:8-Bromo Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D000108:Acetylcarnitine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D006185:Habituation, Psychophysiologic / Q000187:drug effects*; D047709:Hirudo medicinalis / Q000502:physiology*; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D018697:Nootropic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012677:Sensation / Q000187:drug effects*; D012701:Serotonin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists
chemical_list: D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D018697:Nootropic Agents; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists; D015124:8-Bromo Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate; D012701:Serotonin; D000108:Acetylcarnitine
keywords: Acetyl-l-carnitine; Dishabituation; Leech; Sensitization; Serotonin; Swim induction