title: Behavioural effects of PNU-282987 and stress in an animal model of Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cholinergic deficits play an important role in both cognitive and behavioural alterations in Alzheimer's disease. This study was aimed at evaluating the possible therapeutic role of PNU-282987 (PNU), an α7 nicotinic cholinergic receptor agonist, and the possible effects of stress in precipitating the onset of behavioural deficits in animals with susceptibility to Alzheimer's disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  B6C3-Tg mice with susceptibility to Alzheimer's disease and wild-type mice either with or without restraint stress received 0- or 1-mg/kg PNU. At 12 months old, mice were evaluated for activity levels, anxiety-like levels, and spatial learning and memory.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data did not show the effects of PNU on activity and anxiety-like behaviour. No effect of PNU on acquisition of a spatial learning task was detected, but a reversal of stress effects on retention in the Morris water maze was observed in transgenic mice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Further studies are needed in order to better understand the role of α7 nicotinic cholinergic receptor agonists in motor activity, anxiety, and spatial learning and memory and to develop more accurate pharmacological treatment of psychopathological diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain.|Research Center in Behavioral Assessment (CRAMC), Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain.|Laboratory of Toxicology and Environmental Health, School of Medicine, Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili (IISPV), Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain.
authors.forename: Paloma
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vicens
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain.|Research Center in Behavioral Assessment (CRAMC), Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain.|Laboratory of Toxicology and Environmental Health, School of Medicine, Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili (IISPV), Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain.
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Heredia
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain.|Research Center in Behavioral Assessment (CRAMC), Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain.|Laboratory of Toxicology and Environmental Health, School of Medicine, Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili (IISPV), Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain.
authors.forename: Margarita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Torrente
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Toxicology and Environmental Health, School of Medicine, Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili (IISPV), Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain.
authors.forename: José L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Domingo
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety; D001549:Benzamides / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001643:Bridged Bicyclo Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D008568:Memory; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects*; D013037:Spatial Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D064569:alpha7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor / Q000819:agonists* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001549:Benzamides; D001643:Bridged Bicyclo Compounds; C498513:PNU-282987; D064569:alpha7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor
keywords: 
  Alzheimer's disease; 
  PNU-282987; behaviour; stress