Abstract
The effect of orotic acid and central stimulants on retention of shuttle-box avoidance was investigated in rats. Orotic acid (100 mg/kg) was injected 30 min before training; caffeine (20 mg/kg), strychnine (1 mg/kg), or methylphenidate (10 mg/kg) were injected immediately after training. When given alone, these drugs improved avoidance retention when tested 24h after training. However, improvement of retention was much more evident when orotic acid was given in combination with a stimulant. The data are discussed in relation to the role of macromolecule synthesis and arousal in memory formation.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Barondes SH, Cohen HD (1968) Arousal and the conversion of “shortterm” to “long-term” memory. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 61:923–929
Dawson RG, McGaugh JL (1973) Drug facilitation of learning and memory. In: Deutsch JA (ed) The physiological basis of memory. Academic Press, New York, pp 77–111
Flood JF, Jarvik ME, Bennett EL, Orme AE, Rosenzweig MA (1977) The effects of stimulants, depressants, and protein synthesis inhibition on retention. Behav Biol 20:168–183
Gibbs ME (1976) Effects of amphetamine on short-term, protein independent, memory in day-old chickens. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 4:305–309
Hall ME, Schlesinger K, Stamm E (1976) Prevention of memory loss following puromycin treatment. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 4:353–355
Knoll J (1974) Modulation of learning and retention by amphetamines. In: Knoll J, Knoll B (eds) Symposium on pharmacology of learning and retention. Akademiai Kiado, Budapest, pp 73–81
Matthies H, Lietz W (1967) Der Einfluß von Orotsäure auf das Erlöschen einer bedinten Fluchtreaktion der Ratte. Acta Biol Med Ger 19:785–787
Matthies H, Fähse C, Lietz W (1971) Die Wirkung von RNS-Präcursoren auf die Erhaltung des Langzeitgedächtnisses. Psychopharmacologia 20:10–15
Matthies H, Lössner B, Ott T, Pohle W, Rauca C (1973) The intraneuronal regulation of neuronal connectivity. In: 5th Int. Congr. Pharmacol. San Francisco 1972. S. Karger, Basel, pp 29–38
Matthies H, Pohle W, Popov N, Lössner B, Rüthrich HL, Jork R, Ott T (1976) Biochemical mechanisms correlated to learning and memory formation. Acta Physiol Acad Sci Hung 48:335–355
McGaugh JL (1973) Drug facilitation of learning and memory. Ann Rev Pharmacol 13:229–241
McGaugh JL, Petrinovich LF (1965) Effects of drugs on learning and memory. Int Rev Neurobiol 8:139–196
Ott T, Matthies H (1971) Die Wirkung der Orotsäure auf die durch elektrokonvulsiven Schock ausgelöste retrograde Amnesie. Psychopharmacologia 20:16–21
Ott T, Matthies H (1972) Der Einfluß von 6-Azauridin auf die Begünstigung des Wiedererlernens durch Ribonukleinsäure-Präkursoren. Psychopharmacologia 23:272–278
Ott T, Matthies H (1973a) Suppression of uridine monophosphate induced improvement in long-term storage by cycloheximide. Psychopharmacologia 28:103–106
Ott T, Matthies H (1973b) Some effects of RNA precursors on development and maintenance of long-term memory: Hippocampal and cortical pre-and post-training application of RNA precursors. Psychopharmacologia 28:195–204
Quinton EE, Bloom AS (1977) Effects of d-amphetamine and strychnine on cycloheximide-and diethyldithiocarbamate-induced amnesia in mice. J Comp Physiol Psychol 91:1390–1397
Roussinov KS, Yonkov DI (1974) Comparative study of the influence of caffeine and theophylline on the learning and memory of albino rats. Compt Rend Bulgar Acad Sci 27:1605–1608
Roussinov K, Yonkov D (1976a) Comparative study of the effect of caffeine, strychnine and echinopsine on learning and memory in albino rats. Acta Physiol Pharmacol Bulg 2:66–71
Roussinov KS, Yonkov DI (1976b) Cholinergic mechanisms in the learning and memory facilitating effect of caffeine. Acta Physiol Pharmacol Bulg 2:61–68
Roussinov KS, Yonkov DI (1978) Cholinergic mechanisms in the learning and memory facilitating effect of the central stimulants. Influence of anticholinergic agents on the learning and memory facilitating effect of strychnine. Acta Physiol Pharmacol Bulg 4:30–35
Roussinov KS, Atanasova-Shopova S, Yonkov D (1978) On certain central effects of centrophenoxine: correlations with adrenergic and cholinergic mechanisms and with the processes of learning and memory. In: Petkov V (ed) On the pharmacology of centrophenoxine. Publishing House Bulgar Acad Sci, Sofia, pp 53–59
Serota RG, Roberts RB, Flexner LB (1972) Acetoxycycloheximideinduced transient amnesia: Protective effects of adrenergic stimulants. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 69:340–342
Wetzel W, Simonov PV (1978) Avoidance reaction to painful stimulation of another rat: effect of methylglucamine orotate. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 9:401–404
Yonkov D, Roussinov K (1978) Cholinergic mechanisms in the learning and memory facilitating effect of the central stimulants. Influence of the anticholinergic agents on the learning and memory facilitating effect of amphetamine. Acta Physiol Pharmacol Bulg 4:36–43
Yonkov D, Roussinov K (1979a) Cholinergic mechanisms in the learning and memory facilitating effect of the central stimulants. Influence of anticholinergic agents on the memory facilitating effect of echinopsine and centedrine (methylphenidate). Acta Physiol Pharmacol Bulg 5:13–20
Yonkov D, Roussinov K (1979b) Effect of diethyldithiocarbamate (DDC) on the learning and memory facilitating effect of some central stimulants. Acta Physiol Pharmacol Bulg 5:41–46
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Yonkov, D., Wetzel, W., Matthies, H. et al. Improvement of shuttle-box avoidance by combinations of orotic acid and central stimulants. Psychopharmacology 73, 399–401 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00426475
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00426475