THE 5-HT2 RECEPTOR ANTAGONIST KETANSERINE PREVENTS ELECTROCONVULSIVE SHOCK-INDUCED AND CLONIDINE-INDUCED AMNESIA

The 5-HT2-selective antagonist ketanserine was examined for its abilit y to prevent electroconvulsive shock (ECS)- or clonidine-induced perfo rmance deficit in the passive avoidance situation (step-down) in rats. The posttrain intraperitoneal injection of ketanserine at doses of 3 and 10 mg/kg prevented the ECS- or clonidine-provoked amnesia upon ret ention tests given 3 h, 24 h, and 7 days after training. The present d ata favor the view that the selective modification of 5-HT2 receptors after training can prevent the performance deficit in step-down-traine d rats and suggest a role of the 5-HTergic neurotransmitter system in memory. The results of this study further suggest that 5-HTergic recep tor antagonists might be useful in treatment of cognitive disorders.