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Scopolamine's effect on passive avoidance behavior in immature rats
Author(s) -
Wilson Linda M.,
Riccio David C.
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
developmental psychobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.055
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1098-2302
pISSN - 0012-1630
DOI - 10.1002/dev.420090308
Subject(s) - saline , scopolamine , scopolamine hydrobromide , parasympatholytic , psychology , cholinergic , medicine , developmental psychology , endocrinology , muscarinic acetylcholine receptor , receptor
Abstract Male albino rats ranging in age from 15‐‐30 days were injected with either scopolamine hydrobromide or saline, prior to training and retention testing on a black‐white passive avoidance (PA) task. Pretraining administration of a 1.0‐mg/kg dose of scopolamine significantly increased the median number of trials to criterion for 18‐, 21‐, and 30‐day‐old rat pups when compared with their saline controls. Fifteen‐day‐olds showed drug‐related PA deficits when a 2.0‐mg/kg dose was given. Retention data reflect characteristic age‐dependent memory loss over the 1‐week acquisitionretention period with no apparent state‐dependent effects. The data suggest the presence of cholinergic inhibitory mediation of PA responding in preweanling and postweanling pups.