Spatial learning and memory

Scozzafava and Supuran (207) reported that activators might be used for development of new drugs/diagnostic tools for treatment associated with memory therapy, i.e., Alzhemier s disease and enhancement of synaptic efficacy, spatial learning, and memory. 

Of course, one caveat for all the aforementioned studies is that they were performed in nonimpaired animals. However, R065-7199 improves scopolamine-induced deficits in this task (37) and recent data from Foley et al. (102) showed that chronic treatment with SB-271046 (once daily, 40 d) improved the age-related impairment in spatial learning and memory in 20-mo-old Wistar rats, an effect also seen in aged Fisher 344 rats (103). Further testing of 5-htg receptor antagonists in glutamate-deficiency models and neurodevelopment-deficiency models is suggested. 

Shukitt-Hale, B., McEwen, J.J., Szprengiel, A, Joseph, J.A. (2004). Effect of age on the radial arm water maze - test of spatial learning and memory. Neurobiol. Aging 25 223-9. 

Baimerman DM, Yee BK, Lemaire M, Wdbrecht L, Jarrard L, Iversen SD, Rawlins JN, Good MA (2001) The role of the entorhinal cortex in two forms of spatial learning and memory. Exp Brain Res 141 281-303. 

Morris water task for spatial learning and memory, the hot-plate test for analgesia-related responses, locomotor activity testing, elevated plus maze, water maze escape learning task, cocaine-stimulated locomotor activity, alcohol consumption, and forebrain commissures. 

Fasudil is a Rho kinase inhibitor and has been reported to have neuroprotective effects. Administration of fasudil ameliorates spatial learning and memory impairment, attenuates neuronal loss, and neuronal injury induced by Ap 2, and inhibits IL-ip and TNF-a production and NF-kB activation in the rat brain [509-511],... 

Scopolamine causes spatial learning and memory deficits that involved activation of glycogen synthase kinase-3 3 (GSK-3P) and impairments of dendrite arborization and spine formation/ maturation associated with alterations of AMPAR, Homerl, and CREB. Pretreatment by intraperitoneal injection of lithium, an inhibitor of GSK-3, for 1 week prevented the synaptic changes and the learning and memory deficits induced by scopolamine. Lithium treatment also activated cholineacetyltransferase and inhibited acetylcholinesterase, which might have also contributed to the improved memory [531],... 

Sodium phenylbutyrate (NaPB), a Food and Drug Administration-approved oral medication for hyperammonemia, induces astrocytic BDNF and NT-3 expression via the protein kinase C (PKC)-cAMP-response element-binding protein (CREB) pathway. NaPB treatment increased the direct association between PKC and CREB followed by phosphorylation of CREB (Ser133) and induction of DNA binding and transcriptional activation of CREB. NaPB increased the levels of BDNF and NT-3 in the CNS and improved spatial learning and memory in a mouse model of AD [560],... 

Neurobehavioral deficits reflected as impaired performance on a spatial learning and memory task were seen in the progeny of monkeys fed 0.08 mg/kg/day Aroclor 1248 for 18 months and allowed to breed 32 months postexposure (Levin et al. 1988). The deficit did not appear to be due to memory impairment, but rather to impairment in associafional or attenfional processes. Aroclor 1016, tested at a dose level of 0.008 mg/kg/day, did not significantly alter performance on that task (Levin et al. 1988), but impaired the monkeys ability to learn a simple spatial discrimination problem at 0.03 mg/kg/day (Schantz et al. 1989). These long-term studies in monkeys showed that doses of 0.03 mg/kg/day of some PCBs can alter performance in neurobehavioral tests. 

Schantz SL, Seo BW, Wong PW, et al. 1997. Long-term effects of developmental exposure to 2,2, 3,5, 6-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB 95) on locomotor activity, spatial learning and memory and brain ryanodine binding. Neurotoxicology 18(2) 457-67. 

The Morris water-maze task with the hidden platform is widely accepted for examining spatial learning and memory, and a number of studies have shown that some phytocannabinoids and cannabinoids can impair memory (89) or enhance memory (89) function in rodent models. Genetic and pharmacological manipulation have been used to evaluate the CBi mutant mice in the Morris water maze and the antagonist SR141716 in a delayed radial maze task (90,91). 

Wang Y, Wang L, Wu J, Cai J (2006) The in vivo synaptic plasticity mechanism of EGb 761-induced enhancement of spatial learning and memory in aged rats. Br J Pharmacol 148(2) 147-153... 

Fig. 6 Methyl ester of PHB monomer (3HBME) can enhance memory in mice. Spatial learning and memory of mice were enhanced after treatment with positive control acetyl-L-camitine (AC) and 3HBME...

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