Effects of d-amphetamine and strychnine on cycloheximide- and diethyldithiocarbamate-induced amnesia in mice.

Abstract

Groups of C57BL/6J mice were administered cycloheximide (CYC) 30 min before or immediately after training on a passive avoidance task and tested 72 hr later. Some CYC-pretreated groups were given strychnine or <i-amphetamine (d-amp) immediately after training and others were given d-amp 1 hr after training. Other groups were given diethyldithiocarbamate (DDC) at various times before or after training. Some DDC-pretreated groups were given d-amp or strychnine as described above for CYC groups. Immediate posttraining administration of 5 mg/kg d-amp, but not strychnine, prevented amnesia in CYC-pretreated mice. The DDC induced an apparent amnesia when administered from 30 min before training to 3 hr after training. Posttraining administration of d-amp or strychnine did not prevent DDCinduced amnesia. These results are discussed in relation to previous suggestions that CYC-and DDC-induced amnesia may be the result of a functional impairment of catecholamine neurotransmitter systems by these drugs.

Facilitation of retrieval by d-amphetamine following anisomycin-induced amnesia

“…In a previous experiment, we showed that pretest administration of d-amphetamine reversed an amnesia for a spatial discrimination habit induced by the protein-synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide (CXM) . On the other hand, Quinton & Bloom (1977) failed to demonstrate alleviation of CXM -induced amnesia for a step-through avoidance response when d-amphetamine was administered prior to testing, although immediate posttraining treatment was effective. The intention of this experiment was to test the generality of our previous finding by determining whether pretest amphetamine administration would reverse an amnesia induced for an inhibitory avoidance response by Ani.…”

The Role of Catecholamines in Memory Processing,,

“…Botwinick et al (1977) showed that amnesia for a multiple trial spatial discrimination task induced by FLA-63 was present 24 hours after training, but full recovery of memory occurred at 48 hours. Quinton and Bloom (1977) also report a study in which no spontaneous recovery occurred by 3 days in mice that had been treated with DEDTC prior to training. Spontaneous recovery following DBH inhibition does not appear to occur in single trial inhibitory avoidance tasks.…”

“…These data suggest that two types of amnesia can be induced by inhibition of DBH; a transient amnesia, which spontaneously recovers 48-72 hours follow ing training Freedman et al, 1979;Quartermain & Botwinick, 1975a), and amnesias that are durable for up to 1 week and longer (Hamburg & Cohen, 1973;Haycock, Van Buskirk, & McGaugh, 1977;Quinton & Bloom, 1977). Both types of amnesias can be alleviated by pretesting admin istration of adrenergic stimulants.…”

“…Similar recovery occurred when amnesia was induced in the same task by DEDTC . Quinton and Bloom (1977) have recently shown that administration of ci-amphetamine 30 minutes before testing induces recovery of memory in DEDTC-treated mice who had failed to show spontaneous recovery of a single trial inhibitory avoidance. A study by Hamburg and Cohen (1973) failed to show spontaneous recovery 7 days after pretraining DEDTC treatment.…”

“…Quinton and Bloom (1977) have shown that amnesias induced by DEDTC and CXM respond differently to posttraining and pretesting amphetamine treatment. Quinton and Bloom (1977) have shown that amnesias induced by DEDTC and CXM respond differently to posttraining and pretesting amphetamine treatment.…”