Vinpocetine (CavintonB), vincamine, and nicergoline (SermionB) were evaluated for the ability to protect cognitive function of spontaneously hypertensive rats from the damaging effect of hypoxia. Normobaric hypoxia (6% oxygen) was applied during the acquisition of a two-way active avoidance task (3 sessions, 50 trialsisession). Hypoxia decreased the percentage of conditioned avoidance responses by 50% on day 3. Vinpocetine (1.25-1 0 mg/kg) administered orally 60 min prior to the daily sessions did not significantly improve learning in normoxic conditions; however, it prevented hypoxia-induced learning deficit (1.25 mg/kg peak effect dose). The dose-response relationship for the compound is an inverted U-shaped curve. Vincamine (2.5-20 mgikg p.0.) did not facilitate learning under normoxic conditions, but afforded protection against hypoxia at the 20-mgikg dose. Nicergoline (2.5-20 mg/kg p.0.) did not increase acquisition of the normoxic avoidance response, and it also showed a moderate antihypoxic effect. Vinpocetine, and to a lesser degree vincamine and nicergoline-drugs useful in the therapy of cognitive disturbances following cerebral ischemichypoxic states-proved effective in the prevention of a hypoxia-induced learning deficit.

Groo, D., E. Palosi, and L. Szporny: Effects of vinpocetine in scopolamine-induced learning and memory impairments. Drug Dev. Res. 11:29-36, 1987. Scopolamine-induced memory dysfunctions are related to reduced cholinergic transmission. In our experiments scopolamine (3.0 mglkg i.p.) inhibited acquisition and induced retrograde amnesia in a one-trial step-through passive avoidance task in mice. We have studied the effect of vinpocetine (CavintonR), in the amnesic states mentioned above compared to that of vincamine, nicergoline (SermionR), and papaverine, to assess its activity on learning and memory processes impaired by scopolamine. Vinpocetine decreased the disrupting effect of scopolamine on acquisition and prevented and restituted the memory loss with 21.0 and 7.0 mglkg i.p. peak effect dose, respectively. It facilitated the recall of memory traces damaged by scopolamine. Vincamine (3.5-63.7 mglkg i.p.) showed a favorable effect in two of the four tests (reversal of amnesia and recall). Nicergoline (5-40 mglkg i.p.) exerted moderate activity, and papaverine (10-40 mglkg i.p.) was ineffective in the situations tested. Our findings indicate that vinpocetine directly or indirectly influences the cholinergic system, which may explain its previously reported beneficial effect in electroconvulsive shock-and hypoxia-induced experimental amnesic states, and its therapeutic activity in human mental and cognitive disorders.

This article provides an overview of the theoretical assumptions, methods, and key results from the Evaluation Framework for Promoting Gender Equality in Research and Innovation (EFFORTI) project, which was funded by the European Commission. The purpose of EFFORTI was to analyse the impact of interventions to promote gender equality in research and innovation (R&I), and to establish criteria for more responsible and responsive research and innovation (RRI) systems in Europe. This article provides an overview of the project's main results and the lessons learnt from the empirical analysis of R&I systems in several European countries and a comparison of 19 gender equality intervention measures.

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