Yukihisa Murakami, Emiko Tanaka, Yoshiyuki Sakai, Kinzo Matsumoto, Hong-Bin
Li and Hiroshi Watanabe
Department of Pharmacology, Research Institute for Wakan-Yaku (Oriental
Medicines), Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, 2630 Sugitani,
Toyama 930-01, Japan
Abstract: Effect of tacrine, a cholinesterase inhibitor, on spatial
acquisition deficit caused by permanent occlusion of bilateral common carotid
arteries (2VO) was examined by using the conventional 8-arm and the 4-arm
baited radial maze tasks in rats. Daily administration of tacrine (0.1 and
0.3 mg/kg, i.p.) 1 month after 2VO operation significantly improved the
impaired spatial acquisition in the conventional maze task. This treatment
also ameliorated the 2VO-induced working but not reference memory deficit
in the 4-arm baited radial maze task. These results suggest that tacrine
improvement of working memory deficit in the 2VO rats is due to stimulation
of central cholinergic systems.
Keywords: Permanent occlusion of bilateral common carotid arteries, Spatial
acquisition, Tacrine