Effects of Cholinergic Receptor Activation and Magnetic Fields on Motor Behavior in Ischemic Gerbils

Abstract

Aim of the study: Given the known synergistic relationship between magnetic field (MF) and cholinergic receptor activation in the cholinergic system, the present study aims to investigate whether the combined use of a static MF and an agonist for nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) can preserve motor behavior in ischemic gerbils. Materials & methods: We randomly allocated 72 Mongolian gerbils into nine groups (n=8), distributed according to surgical procedure and treatment. The animals were trained and evaluated on the Rotarod (RR) to assess motor performance. Results: Our main finding was the preservation of motor behavior in the Sham Ischemia + Nicotine + Sham Magnetic Stimulation (Sh+N+SMS) and Ischemia + Nicotine + South Pole (I+N+SP) groups, as evidenced by the results of the RR test. Conclusions: Our findings are consistent with previous literature and provide insight into the mechanism of potentiation, as results showed that adding a nAChR agonist to the MF preserved motor performance in the RR test of ischemic animals.