Arcaine and MK-801 make recall state-dependent in rats

• Published in: Psychopharmacologia 2008-12, Vol.201 (3), p.405-411
• Main Authors: Ceretta, Ana Paula Chiapinotto, Camera, Keli, Mello, Carlos Fernando, Rubin, Maribel Antonello
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal memory; Animals; Avoidance Learning - drug effects; Avoidance Learning - physiology; Behavior, Animal; Biguanides - chemistry; Biguanides - pharmacology; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Brain; Buffers; Dizocilpine Maleate - chemistry; Dizocilpine Maleate - pharmacology; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Administration Schedule; Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists - chemistry; Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists - pharmacology; Exploratory Behavior - drug effects; Exploratory Behavior - physiology; Injections, Intraperitoneal; Male; Medical sciences; Mental Recall - drug effects; Mental Recall - physiology; Neuroprotective Agents - pharmacology; Neurosciences; Original Investigation; Pharmacology/Toxicology; Phosphates; Polyamines - chemistry; Prescription drugs; Proteins; Psychiatry; Psychopharmacology; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate - agonists; Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate - drug effects; Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate - physiology; Rodents; Time Factors; Transfer (Psychology) - drug effects; Transfer (Psychology) - physiology
• ISSN: 0033-3158; 1432-2072
• DOI: 10.1007/s00213-008-1304-7

Rationale The polyamines putrescine, spermidine, and spermine are a group of aliphatic amines that may act as physiological modulators of the N -methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA) receptor, a glutamate receptor implicated in memory formation and consolidation. Arcaine is a competitive antagonist of the polyamine binding site at the NMDA receptor, the post-training administration of which impairs memory of various tasks. Objectives In this study, we investigated whether the administration of arcaine and MK-801 alters the memory of the step-down inhibitory avoidance task, and whether the effects of these NMDA antagonists involve state-dependency mechanisms, in adult male Wistar rats. Results The administration of arcaine (30 mg/kg, i.p.) or MK-801 (0.03 mg/kg, i.p.) immediately after training impaired inhibitory avoidance performance at testing. Arcaine- and MK-801-induced performance impairment was reversed by the administration of arcaine (30 mg/kg, i.p.) and MK-801 (0.03 mg/kg, i.p.), respectively, 30 min before testing. Response transfer also occurred if arcaine substituted MK-801 at testing, and vice-versa. Conclusion These results suggest that arcaine and MK-801 induce state-dependent recall and that, probably due to their ability to decrease NMDA receptor function, one drug can substitute for the other at testing, demonstrating a cross-state dependency between arcaine and MK-801.