Castration in rats impairs performance during acquisition of a working memory task and exacerbates deficits in working memory produced by scopolamine and mecamylamine
Castration in rats impairs performance during acquisition of a working memory task and exacerbates deficits in working memory produced by scopolamine and mecamylamine
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DOI：
10.1007/s00213-003-1537-4
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发表时间：
2003-11-01
影响因子：
3.4
通讯作者：
Moerschbaecher, JM
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Daniel, JM;Winsauer, PJ;Moerschbaecher, JM
基本原理：虽然许多研究都集中在卵巢激素对女性学习和记忆的影响，但关于睾丸激素对男性学习和记忆的影响的信息较少。此外，尽管有证据表明睾丸激素和胆碱能系统在涉及学习和记忆的大脑区域中相互作用，但没有关于这种相互作用的行为后果的信息。目的：研究去势对大鼠工作记忆的影响。我们还评估了去势和东莨菪碱（一种毒蕈碱受体拮抗剂）以及美加明（一种烟碱受体拮抗剂）对行为的相互作用。方法：将年轻成年雄性大鼠去势或进行假手术。从手术后10天开始，在八臂放射状迷宫中，在24天的采集中评估工作记忆任务的表现。采集后，建立东莨菪碱和美加明量效曲线。结果：雄性大鼠去势显著降低手臂选择的准确性在收购。阉割显著加剧了东莨菪碱和美加明对手臂选择准确性的损害，而没有改变药物对大鼠进入迷宫手臂的速度的破坏性影响。结论：这些结果表明，去势损害了雄性大鼠在获得空间迷宫任务的工作记忆。此外，这些结果表明，睾丸激素的缺乏增加了雄性大鼠对东莨菪碱以及美加明对工作记忆的损害作用的敏感性。
Rationale: Although much research has focused on the effects of ovarian hormones on learning and memory in females, less information is available regarding the effects of testicular hormones on learning and memory in males. Additionally, despite evidence of an interaction of testicular hormones and the cholinergic system in areas of the brain implicated in learning and memory, no information is available regarding the behavioral consequences of that interaction. Objectives: We assessed the effect of castration in male rats on working memory during acquisition of a radial maze. We also assessed the interactive effects of castration and scopolamine, a muscarinic receptor antagonist, as well as mecamylamine, a nicotinic receptor antagonist, on behavior. Methods: Young adult male rats were castrated or underwent sham surgeries. Beginning 10 days after surgeries, performance on a task of working memory was assessed across 24 days of acquisition in an eight-arm radial maze. Following acquisition, scopolamine and mecamylamine dose-effect curves were established. Results: Castration of male rats significantly decreased arm-choice accuracy during acquisition. Castration significantly exacerbated impairments in arm-choice accuracy produced by scopolamine as well as mecamylamine, without altering the disruptive effects of the drugs on the rate at which rats entered the arms of the maze. Conclusions: These results indicate that castration in male rats impairs working memory during acquisition of a spatial maze task. Additionally, these results suggest that the absence of testicular hormones increases the sensitivity of male rats to the impairing effects of scopolamine as well as mecamylamine on working memory.