GALANIN-ACETYLCHOLINE INTERACTIONS IN RODENT MEMORY TASKS AND ALZHEIMERS-DISEASE

Galanin is a 29-amino-acid neuropeptide that is widely distributed in the mammalian central nervous system. Galanin-immunoreactive cell bodi es, fibres and terminals, and galanin binding sites, are located in th e basal forebrain of rats, monkeys and humans. Galanin fibres hyperinn ervate the surviving cholinergic cell bodies in patients with Alzheime r's disease (AD). In rats, galanin inhibits acetylcholine release and produces deficits in learning and memory. These findings suggest that overexpressed galanin may contribute to the cognitive impairments exhi bited by patients with AD. This paper reviews the literature on galani n distribution and function in light of its putative role in the mnemo nic deficits in patients with AD, the effects of galanin on tests of l earning and memory, and preliminary experiments with galanin antagonis ts in animal models of AD.