Abstract
The immediate posttrial injection of oxotremorine (0.125, 0.250 and 0.500 μMol/kg i.p.) and equimolecular doses of physostigmine can facilitate the retention of a passive avoidance response in mice. Injections given 10 min after training also significantly facilitate retention, but injections given 30 or 120 min after training do not affect retention. These findings suggest an action of oxotremorine and physostigmine on mechanisms involved in memory storage. The enhanced retention produced by oxotremorine and physostigmine was blocked by pretreatment with atropine (2 μMol/kg, 20 min, i.p.) but was not affected by methylatropine (2 μMol/kg, 20min, i.p.). The retention was not modified by posttrial injection of metoxotremorine (0.250 μMol/kg i.p.) or neostigmine (0.250 μMol/kg i.p., quaternary analogs of oxotremorine and physostigmine, respectively. The results suggest a central action of both cholinergic agents attributable to an activation of muscarinic brain receptors.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bebbington, A., Briblecombe, R. W.: Muscarinic receptors in the peripheral and central nervous system. Adv. Drug Res. 2, 143–172 (1965)
Cheney, D. L., Costa, E.: Pharmacological implications of brain acetylcholine turnover measurements in rat brain nuclei. Ann. Rev. Pharmacol. Toxicol. 17, 369–386 (1977)
Chiappetta, L., jarvik, M. E.: Comparison of learning impairment and activity depression produced by two classes of cholinergic blocking agents. Arch. Int. Pharmacodyn. 179, 161–166 (1969)
Cho, A. K., Haslett, W. L., Jenden, D. L.: The peripheral actions of oxotremorine a metabolite of tremorine. J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 138, 249–257 (1962)
Choi, R. L., Roch, M., Jenden, D. J.: A regional study of acetylcholine turnover in rat brain and the effects of oxotremorine. Proc. West. Pharmacol. Soc. 16, 188–190 (1973)
Consolo, S., Ladinsky, H., Peri, G., Garattini, S.: Effect of central stimulants and depressants on mouse brain acetylcholine. Eur. J. Pharmacol. 18, 251–255 (1972)
Dawson, R. G., McGauth, J. L.: Drug facilitation of learning and memory. In: The physiological basis of memory, J. A. Deutsch, ed., pp. 77–111 New York: Academic Press 1973
Doty, B. A., Johnston, M. M.: Effects of posttrial eserine administration, age and task difficulty on avoidance conditioning in rats. Psychon. Sci. 6, 101–102 (1966)
Essman, W. B., Alpern, H.: Single trial conditioning methodology and results with mice. Psycol. Rep. 14, 731–740 (1964)
George, R., Haslett, W. L., Jenden, D. L.: A cholinergic mechanisms in the brainstem reticular formation: induction of paradoxical sleep. Neuropharmacology 3, 541–552 (1964)
Hammer, W., Karlén, B., Rane, A., Sjöqvis, F.: Rate of metabolism of tremorine and oxotremorine in rats and mice. Life Sci. 7, 197–204 (1968)
Hanin, I., Jenden, D. J., Cho, A. K.: The influence of pH on the muscarinic action of oxotremorine, arecoline, pilocarpine and their quaternary ammonium analogs. Mol. Pharmacol. 2, 352–359 (1966)
Holloway, F. A., Wansley, R. A.: Multiple retention deficits at periodic intervals after passive avoidance learning. Science 180, 208–210 (1973)
Holmstedt, B., Lungren, G.: Tremorgenic agents and brain acetylcholine. In: Mechanisms of release of biogenic amines. Wenner Gren Center International Symposium Series, Vol V. U. S. von Euler, S. Rossel, B. Unvas, eds., pp. 439–468. London: Pergamon Press 1966
Izquierdo, J. A., Baratti, C. M., Torrelio, M., Arévalo, L., McGaugh, J. L.: Effects of food deprivation, discrimination experience and physostigmine on choline acetylase and cetylcholine esterase in dorsal hippocampus and frontal cortex of rats. Psychopharmacologia (Berl.) 33, 103–110 (1973)
Karlén, B.: Chemical and biological studies of tremorine, oxotremorine and oxotremorine antagonists. Acta Pharm. Suecia. 7, 169–200 (1970)
Kier, L. B.: Molecular orbital conformation of oxotremorine and a comparison with the muscarinic pattern. J. Pharm. Sci. 59, 112–114 (1970)
Matthies, H.: The biochemical basis of learning and memory. Life Sci. 15, 2017–2031 (1974)
McGaugh, J. L., Petrinovich, L. F.: Effects of drugs on learning and memory. Int. Rev. Neurobiol. 8, 139–196 (1965)
McGaugh, J. L.: Time dependence processes in memory. Ann. Rev. Pharmacol. 13, 1352–1358 (1966)
McGaugh, J. L.: Drug facilitation of learning and memory. Ann. Rev. Pharmacol. 13, 229–241 (1973)
Schuberth, J., Sparf, B., Sundwall, A.: A technique for the study of adetylcholine turnover in mouse brain in vivo. J. Neurochem. 16, 695–700 (1969)
Siegel, S.: Non-parametric statistics for the behavioral sciences. New York: McGraw Hill Book Co. 1956
Trabucchi, M., Cheney, D. L., Hanin, I., Costa, E.: Application of principles of steady-state kinetics to the estimation of brain acethlcholine turnover rate: effects of oxotremorine and physostigmine. J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 194, 57–64 (1975)
Walker, J. L., Weetman, D. F.: Oxtremorine induced hypertesion in the anaesthetized rat. Br. J. Pharmacol. 39, 490–500 (1970)
Warburton, D. M., Brown, K.: The facilitation of discrimination performance by physostigmine sulphate. Psychopharmacologia (Berl.) 27, 275–284 (1972)
Whitehouse, L.: The effects of physostigmine on discrimination learning. Psychopharmacologia (Berl.) 9, 183–188 (1966)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Baratti, C.M., Huygens, P., Miño, J. et al. Memory facilitation with posttrial injection of oxotremorine and physostigmine in mice. Psychopharmacology 64, 85–88 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00427350
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00427350