Nitric Oxide Donor Molsidomine Attenuates Psychotomimetic Effects of the Nmda Receptor Antagonist Mk-801.
From: Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece. npitsikas@med.uth.gr
Journal of neuroscience research
- Publish Date: Aug 2006
- ISSN: 0360-4012
- Volume: 84
- Issue: 2
- Pages: 299-305
- Medium: Print
- Language: English
- Citation (JAMA): Pitsikas Nikolaos, Zisopoulou Styliani, Sakellaridis Nikolaos, et al. Nitric Oxide Donor Molsidomine Attenuates Psychotomimetic Effects of the Nmda Receptor Antagonist Mk-801.. J. Neurosci. Res. Aug 2006;84:299-305
Abstract
There is experimental evidence indicating that the non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801 impairs cognition and produces a series of schizophrenia-like symptoms in rodents (hypermotility, stereotypies, and ataxia). The present study was designed to investigate the efficacy of the nitric oxide (NO) donor molsidomine in counteracting these MK-801-induced behavioral effects in the rat. In a first study, post-training administration of molsidomine (at 4 but not 2 mg/kg) successfully antagonized MK-801-induced performance deficits in a recognition memory test. In a subsequent study, molsidomine (2 and 4 mg/kg) was shown to be unable to reverse MK-801-induced hypermotility but attenuated stereotypies (continuous movement whole cage, body sway, and head weaving) produced by MK-801. Moreover, at 4 mg/kg this NO donor counteracted MK-801-induced ataxia. Our findings indicate that molsidomine attenuates behavioral effects related to the hypofunction of the NMDA receptor suggesting that NO might be involved in the psychotomimetic effects of non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonists.
Mesh Headings (Keywords): Animals, Behavior, Animal, Brain, Dizocilpine Maleate, Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists, Hallucinogens, Male, Memory, Molsidomine, Motor Activity, Nitric Oxide Donors, Rats, Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate
Check for Full Text / PubMed Unique Identifier (PMID): 16710846
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