Effect of an NCAM mimetic peptide FGL on impairment in spatial learning and memory after neonatal phencyclidine treatment in rats

TY - JOUR

T1 - Effect of an NCAM mimetic peptide FGL on impairment in spatial learning and memory after neonatal phencyclidine treatment in rats

AU - Secher, Thomas

AU - Berezin, Vladimir

AU - Bock, Elisabeth

AU - Glenthøj, Birte

N1 - Keywords: Animals; Animals, Newborn; Female; Male; Memory; Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules; Phencyclidine; Pregnancy; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Reversal Learning

PY - 2008

Y1 - 2008

N2 - The FGL peptide is a neural cell adhesion molecule-derived fibroblast growth factor receptor agonist. FGL has both neurotrophic and memory enhancing properties. Neonatal phencyclidine (PCP) treatment on postnatal days 7, 9, and 11 has been shown to result in long-lasting behavioral abnormalities, including cognitive impairment relevant to schizophrenia. The present study investigated the effect of FGL on spatial learning and memory deficits induced by neonatal PCP treatment. Rat pups were treated with 30mg/kg PCP on postnatal days 7, 9, and 11. Additionally, the rats were subjected to a chronic FGL treatment regimen where FGL was administered throughout development. Rats were tested as adults for spatial reference memory, reversal learning, and working memory in the Morris water maze. The PCP-treated rats demonstrated a robust impairment in working memory and reversal learning. However, the long-term memory component of the reference memory task was not affected by PCP. Chronic FGL treatment had no effect on the reversal learning impairment but ameliorated the working memory deficits almost to the levels of the control groups. In conclusion, the results suggest that the neonatal PCP treatment produced deficits in cognition relevant to schizophrenia. Moreover, working memory function was selectively protected by the neurotrophic peptide, FGL.

AB - The FGL peptide is a neural cell adhesion molecule-derived fibroblast growth factor receptor agonist. FGL has both neurotrophic and memory enhancing properties. Neonatal phencyclidine (PCP) treatment on postnatal days 7, 9, and 11 has been shown to result in long-lasting behavioral abnormalities, including cognitive impairment relevant to schizophrenia. The present study investigated the effect of FGL on spatial learning and memory deficits induced by neonatal PCP treatment. Rat pups were treated with 30mg/kg PCP on postnatal days 7, 9, and 11. Additionally, the rats were subjected to a chronic FGL treatment regimen where FGL was administered throughout development. Rats were tested as adults for spatial reference memory, reversal learning, and working memory in the Morris water maze. The PCP-treated rats demonstrated a robust impairment in working memory and reversal learning. However, the long-term memory component of the reference memory task was not affected by PCP. Chronic FGL treatment had no effect on the reversal learning impairment but ameliorated the working memory deficits almost to the levels of the control groups. In conclusion, the results suggest that the neonatal PCP treatment produced deficits in cognition relevant to schizophrenia. Moreover, working memory function was selectively protected by the neurotrophic peptide, FGL.

U2 - 10.1016/j.bbr.2008.12.012

DO - 10.1016/j.bbr.2008.12.012

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 19133297

SN - 0166-4328

VL - 199

SP - 288

EP - 297

JO - Behavioural Brain Research

JF - Behavioural Brain Research

IS - 2

ER -