Jj. Buccafusco et al., Differential improvement in memory-related task performance with nicotine by aged male and female rhesus monkeys, BEHAV PHARM, 10(6-7), 1999, pp. 681-690
Central nicotine acetylcholine receptors have been targeted for the develop
ment of novel treatments for memory deficits in Alzheimer's disease (AD) an
d other neurodegenerative disorders. Nicotine itself has been shown to impr
ove memory-related task performance in aged animals and in AD patients. Adm
inistration of nicotinic receptor agonists to laboratory animals, and the e
ffects of cigarette smoking in humans attributed to nicotine, have in many
instances been shown to exert sexually dimorphic actions. Low doses (2.5-20
mu g/kg, intramuscularly) of nicotine have been shown to improve the perfo
rmance of an automated delayed matching-to-sample (DMTS) task in aged rhesu
s monkeys. The purpose of this study was to determine whether aged females
receive the same level of benefit to the positive mnemonic action of nicoti
ne as do males. In this study six male (21.7 +/- 1.2 years) and seven femal
e (22.5 +/- 0.9 years) rhesus monkeys each received an ascending series of
four doses of nicotine over 5 weeks. Most control parameters were similar b
etween the two sexes, although task latencies were longer and more variable
in the female subjects. The males maintained a significant improvement in
task performance over the entire nicotine dose range. This level of improve
ment extended to 24 h after nicotine administration. Task accuracy by femal
es appeared to improve only after they received the two higher doses of nic
otine, and their responses exhibited considerable variability over the enti
re dose range. However, in calculating an individualized 'Best Dose', males
and females exhibited a similar level of task improvement (15-30% above ba
seline). Therefore, aged female subjects may require a greater level of ind
ividualized treatment and perhaps higher doses of nicotinic agonists to ach
ieve the maximal mnemonic benefit. (C) 1999 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.