EFFECT OF OM-853, A CEREBRAL METABOLIC AMELIORATOR, ON AMBULATORY ACTIVITY AND PASSIVE AND ACTIVE-AVOIDANCE RESPONSES IN MICE AND MONGOLIANGERBILS

Behavioral effects of OM-853 were investigated in both mice and Mongol ian gerbils. In mice, OM-853 alone produced no marked change in the am bulatory activity, although it tended to lower it at 100 mg/kg, and th is drug (5 - 100 mg/kg, p.o.) reduced the ambulation-increasing effect of scopolamine (0.5 mg/kg, s.c.) in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover , OM-853 (50 and 100 mg/kg, p.o.) prolonged the latency times shortene d by scopolamine under the passive avoidance. On the other hand, in th e discrete avoidance situation, OM-853 facilitated the acquisition of shuttle avoidance at 10 and 25 mg/kg, p.o. and lever-press avoidance a t 25 and 50 mg/kg, p.o. in the pre-training administration schedule, a nd the former at 25 - 100 mg/kg, p.o. and the latter at 10 and 25 mg/k g, p. o. in the post-training administration schedule. In gerbils, OM- 853 (50 mg/kg, i.p.) ameliorated the learning deficit of the lever-pre ss avoidance response induced by forebrain ischemia. The present resul ts suggest that OM-853 has beneficial actions on some types of learnin g and memory in normal, scopolamine-treated and ischemic animals. The possible mechanisms involved are discussed.