Journal
NEUROBIOLOGY OF LEARNING AND MEMORY
Volume 94, Issue 2, Pages 247-253Publisher
ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE
DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2010.06.002
Keywords
Methylphenidate; Spatial memory; BDNF; Acetylcholinesterase
Funding
- Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPq-Brazil)
- Rede Institut Brasileiro de Neurociencia (IBN-Net) [01.06.0842-00]
- Instituto Nacional de Ciencia e Tecnologia (INCT) para Excitotoxicidade e Neuroprotecao (INCT/CNPq)
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Methylphenidate, a psychostimulant that affects both dopaminergic and noradrenergic systems, is one of the most frequently prescribed treatments for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. The present study investigated the effects of chronic administration of methylphenidate to juvenile rats on spatial memory, brain-derived neurotrophic factor immunocontent and acetylcholinesterase activity in hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. Rats received intraperitoneal injections of methylphenidate (2.0 mg/kg) once a day, from the 15th to the 45th day of age or an equivalent volume of 0.9% saline solution (controls). Twenty-four hours after the last injection, animals were subjected to testing in the Morris water maze. After that, animals were sacrificed and hippocampus and prefrontal cortex were dissected out for determination of brain-derived neurotrophic factor immunocontent and acetylcholinesterase activity. Chronic administration of methylphenidate provoked cognitive impairments on spatial reference and working memory tasks. A reduction on brain-derived neurotrophic factor immunocontent and increased acetylcholinesterase activity in prefrontal cortex, but not in hippocampus, of rats treated with methylphenidate were also observed. These results suggest that the deficit in spatial memory may be associated to decreased brain-derived neurotrophic factor immunocontent and increased acetylcholinesterase in prefrontal cortex of juvenile rats subjected to methylphenidate administration. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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