THE POTENT FREE-RADICAL SCAVENGER ALPHA-LIPOIC ACID IMPROVES MEMORY IN AGED MICE - PUTATIVE RELATIONSHIP TO NMDA RECEPTOR DEFICITS

Alpha-Lipoic acid (alpha-LA) improved longer-term memory of aged femal e NMRI mice in the habituation in the open field test at a dose of 100 mg/kg body weight for 15 days. In a separate experiment, no such effe ct could be found for young mice. Alpha-LA alleviated age-related NMDA receptor deficits (B(max)) without changing muscarinic, benzodiazepin e, and alpha2-adrenergic receptor deficits in aged mice. The carbachol -stimulated accumulation of inositol monophosphates was not changed by the treatment with alpha-LA. These results give tentative support to the hypothesis that alpha-LA improves memory in aged mice, probably by a partial compensation of NMDA receptor deficits. Possible modes of a ction of alpha-LA based on its free radical scavenger properties are d iscussed in relation to the membrane hypothesis of aging.