Ameliorative effects of azaindolizinone derivative ZSET845 on scopolamine-induced deficits in passive avoidance and radial-arm maze learning in the rat

Effects of ZSET845 (3,3-dibenzylimidazo[1,2-a]pyridin-2-(3H)-one), a newly synthesized cognitive enhancer, and donepezil and tacrine on the scopolamin e-induced cognitive deficits in rats were examined in passive avoidance and radial-arm maze tasks. ZSET845 (0.01 mg/kg) showed a greater ameliorative effect than donepezil (0.1 mg/kg) or tacrine (1 mg/kg) in the passive avoid ance task. In the radial-arm maze task, ZSET845 (0.1 mg/kg) also showed a g reater effect than donepezil (10 mg/kg) or tacrine (10 mg/kg). ZSET845 indu ced an increase in the choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity in the hip pocampus, suggesting that the ameliorative effects of ZSET845 are related t o the increase in the ChAT activity in the hippocampus.