EFFECTS OF SODIUM-AZIDE ON MOTOR-ACTIVITY, MOTOR COORDINATION, AND LEARNING

Because of the proposed importance of cytochrome oxidase in some neuro logical disorders, an inhibitor of this enzyme was evaluated in a batt ery of tests measuring exploration, motor coordination, and learning. Mice injected with sodium azide (6 or 12 mg/kg) were slower to initiat e a response in a T maze and had less rears in a small chamber than mi ce injected with placebo. Drugged mice did not alternate spontaneously even at a minimal retention interval (0 min), but were not impaired i n water maze spatial and visual discrimination learning tasks. No grou p differences emerged in terms of horizontal motor activity and its ha bituation, number of grooming episodes, and motor coordination. These results indicate that azide-induced slowing of motor activity is situa tion-specific and is accompanied by abnormalities in choice behavior i n a T maze. Copyright (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Inc.