A. Gasbarri et al., STRAIN-DEPENDENT EFFECTS OF D-2 DOPAMINERGIC AND MUSCARINIC-CHOLINERGIC AGONISTS AND ANTAGONISTS ON MEMORY CONSOLIDATION PROCESSES IN MICE, Behavioural brain research, 86(1), 1997, pp. 97-104
The interaction between muscarinic-cholinergic and dopaminergic system
s in the modulation of memory storage of Y-maze discrimination (YMD) t
ask was examined in C57BL/6 and DBA/2 strains of mice. In C57BL/6 mice
; post-training systemic (i.p.) administration of the D-2-agonist quin
pirole facilitated retention and the D-2-antagonist (-)-sulpiride impa
ired retention. Opposite effects were observed in DBA/2 strain. The fa
cilitating or impairing effects of quinpirole and (-)-sulpiride were b
locked by simultaneous post-training administration of muscarinic-chol
inergic agonists and antagonists. The memory enhancing effects of the
cholinergic agonist oxotremorine were not blocked by simultaneous admi
nistration of sulpiride in C57BL/6 mice or quinpirole in DBA/2 mice. F
urthermore, the memory impairing effects of the cholinergic antagonist
atropine were not blocked by simultaneous administration of quinpirol
e in C57BL/6 mice or sulpiride in DBA/2 mice. These findings indicate
that the effects of D-2-receptor agonists and antagonists on retention
of YMD task are strain-dependent and mediated through muscarinic-chol
inergic mechanisms. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.