title: Nociceptin/orphanin FQ induces simultaneously anxiolytic and amnesic effects in the mouse elevated T-maze task.
abstract: Studies have shown a close relationship between anxiety and aversive memory processing, but few animal models are suitable for investigating the effects of a given compound on anxiety and memory simultaneously. A growing body of evidence suggests anxiolytic and amnesic effects of nociceptin/orphanin FQ (N/OFQ). The mouse elevated T-maze (ETM) has been shown to detect the effects of drugs on anxiety and memory at the same time. In this study, the effects of intracerebroventricular N/OFQ injected before or immediately after training session were assessed in the ETM task. When pretraining injected, N/OFQ 0.1 nmol significantly decreased the latency to enter an open arm in the training session compared to control, which is suggestive of anxiolysis. In addition, N/OFQ (0.1 and 1 nmol) significantly reduced the latency to enter an open arm during the test session compared to control, thus suggesting memory impairments. However, when N/OFQ was administered posttraining, it did not affect memory retrieval. No alterations in locomotion were detected in N/OFQ-treated mice in the open field test. In conclusion, these findings are discussed considering the simultaneous anxiolytic and amnesic effects of N/OFQ.
authors.affiliation: Behavioral Pharmacology Laboratory, Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Av. Senador Salgado Filho, s/n, Campus Universitário-Lagoa Nova, Natal, 59072-970, RN, Brazil.
authors.forename: Laila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Asth
authors.forename: Nataly
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Correia
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lobão-Soares
authors.forename: Thereza C Monteiro
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: De Lima
authors.forename: Remo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Guerrini
authors.forename: Girolamo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Calo'
authors.forename: Vanessa P
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Soares-Rachetti
authors.forename: Elaine C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Gavioli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D008124:Locomotion / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D051379:Mice; D018847:Opioid Peptides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000097629:Nociceptin
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D018847:Opioid Peptides; D000097629:Nociceptin