A DECREASE IN BRAIN CATECHOLAMINES PREVENTS OXIRACETAM ANTAGONISM OF THE EFFECTS OF SCOPOLAMINE ON MEMORY AND BRAIN ACETYLCHOLINE

The effect of oxiracetam on passive avoidance conditioned response and acetylcholine (ACh) levels in rats with selective lesions of the central monoaminergic pathways was investigated. The lesions were followed by a marked decrease in cortical serotonin (-88%), noradrenaline (-54%) and striatal dopamine (-57%) levels, while neither the performance of a passive avoidance conditioned response nor brain ACh levels were affected. Scopolamine (hyoscine) administration (0.63 mg/kg, s.c.) to lesioned rats exerted the expected amnesic effect, associated with a decrease in hippocampal, cortical and striatal ACh levels. In the rats with degeneration of dopaminergic and noradrenergic but not serotoninergic pathways, oxiracetam (50 and 100 mg/kg, s.c.) was unable to prevent both amnesia and the decrease in brain ACh levels caused by scopolamine. The effect of oxiracetam was prevented by haloperidol (0.2 mg/kg, s.c.). Our findings support the hypothesis that an interaction between monoaminergic and cholinergic neurotransmitter systems may be involved in the actions of nootropic drugs on cognitive functions. © 1991 The Italian Pharmacological Society.