Abstract
The effects of serotonergic lesions of the nucleus basalis of Meynert (nbM) or regions within the frontal cortex (FCTX) induced with 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine were examined to determine whether such damage would block the amnesia-producing effect of pretraining (30 min) p-chloroamphetamine (PCA; 2.5 mg/kg) in rats trained on passive avoidance. Results indicated that, irrespective of their lesion condition, all groups treated with PCA exhibited 72-h retention impairments. Serotonergic lesions of the nbM or FCTX alone did not affect retention performance despite producing extensive depletions of serotonin (34.8%–84.7%) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (59.0%–86.0%). Neither lesion procedure, nor the administration of PCA, had an effect on activity levels of cholinergic markers choline acetyltransferase and acetylcholinesterase within the frontal cortex. These data demonstrate that the memory-impairing effects of PCA are not (1) dependent on the existence of releasable pools of serotonin in the nbM or FCTX, (2) mediated by stimulation of serotonergic receptors in the nbM or FCTX, or (3) related to disruption of cholinergic activity within the frontal cortex. These data also reveal that serotonergic lesions to the nbM or FCTX by themselves do not produce impairments in retention on passive avoidance.
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The contributions made by Renee Gluck and John Bangston to the present report are gratefully acknowledged.
Support for this study was provided by an Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center grant (P50AG05138) from the NIA.
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Santucci, A.C., Knott, P.J. & Haroutunian, V. 5,7-DHT—induced lesions of the nucleus basalis or frontal cortex do not block passive avoidance retention impairments produced by p-chloroamphetamine in rats. Psychobiology 23, 139–143 (1995). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03327069
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03327069