METHYL BETA-CARBOLINE-3-CARBOXYLATE REVERSES THE WORKING-MEMORY DEFICITS INDUCED EITHER BY CHRONIC ALCOHOL-CONSUMPTION OR MAMMILLARY BODY LESIONS IN BALB C MICE/

This study showed that both chronic ethanol consumption and mammillary body (MB) lesions induced a trial-dependent sequential alternation de ficit together with a reduction of anxiety-like reactions in an elevat ed plus maze and in an open field. The administration of beta-CCM (0.5 mg/kg, s.c.) increased anxiety-like reactions in all groups but signi ficantly improved spontaneous alternation rates only in the alcohol gr oup. However, increasing the dose of beta-CCM from 0.5 to 1.0 mg/kg al so produced a memory-enhancing effect in MB-lesioned subjects. Taken t ogether, this study shows that (1) memory deficits induced by chronic ethanol administration and MB lesions are reversed by beta-CCM adminis tration and that (2) given the dose effects in MB mice, the MB could m ediate, at least in part, the memory-enhancing effects of the drug.