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Rationale: The serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)) 5-HT7 receptor is localized in brain areas mediating memory; however, the role of this receptor on memory remains little explored., Objective: First, demonstrating the associative nature of Pavlovian/instrumental autoshaping (P/I-A) task, rats were exposed (three sessions) to CS-US (Pavlovian autoshaping), truly random control, free operant, and presentations of US or CS, and they were compared with rats trained-tested for one session to the P/I-A procedure. Also, effects of the 5-HT7 receptor agonist LP-211 administered intraperitoneally after training was determined on short- (1.5 h) and long-term memory 24 and 48 h) and on scopolamine-induced memory impairment and cAMP production., Methods: Autoshaping and its behavioral controls were studied. Other animals were subjected to an autoshaping training session and immediately afterwards were given (intraperitoneal) vehicle or LP-211 (0.1-10 mg/kg) and/or scopolamine (0.2 mg/kg) and tested for short-term memory (STM) and long-term memory (LTM); their brains were extracted for the cAMP ELISA immunoassay., Results: P/I-A group produced the higher %CR. LP-211 did not affect STM; nonetheless, at 0.5 and 1.0 mg/kg, it improved LTM. The 5-HT7 receptor antagonist SB-269970 (SB; 10.0 mg/kg) alone had no effect; nevertheless, the LP-211 (1.0 mg/kg) LTM facilitation was reversed by SB. The scopolamine (0.2 mg/kg) induced-decrement in CR was accompanied by significant increased cAMP production. The scopolamine-induced decrement in CR and increments in cAMP were significantly attenuated by LP-211., Conclusions: Autoshaping is a reliable associative learning task whose consolidation is facilitated by the 5-HT7 receptor agonist LP-211.

Notwithstanding several neurotransmission systems are frequently related to memory formation; forgetting process and neurotransmission systems or their transporters; the role of γ-aminobutyric acid (GAT1), glutamate (EACC1), dopamine (DAT) and serotonin (SERT) is poorly understood. Hence, in this paper western-blot analysis was used to evaluate expression of GAT1, EAAC1, DAT and SERT during forgetting in trained and untrained rats treated with the selective serotonin transporter inhibitor fluoxetine, the amnesic drug d-methamphetamine (METH) and fluoxetine plus METH. Transporters expression was determined in the hippocampus (HIP), prefrontal cortex (PFC) and striatum (STR). Results indicated that forgetting of Pavlovian/instrumental autoshaping was associated to up-regulation of GAT1 (PFC and HIP) and DAT (PFC) while SERT (HIP) was down-regulated; no-changes were observed in striatum. Methamphetamine administration did not affect forgetting at 216 h post-training but up-regulated hippocampal DAT and EACC, prefrontal cortex DAT and striatal GAT1 or EACC1. Fluoxetine alone prevented forgetting, which was associated to striatal GAT1 and hippocampal DAT up-regulation, but prefrontal cortex GAT1 down-regulation. Fluoxetine plus METH administration was also able to prevent forgetting, which was associated to hippocampal DAT, prefrontal cortex SERT and striatal GAT1, DAT or SERT up-regulation, but prefrontal cortex GAT1 down-regulation. Together these data show that forgetting provokes primarily hippocampal and prefrontal cortex transporters changes; forgetting represent a behavioral process hardly modifiable and its prevention could causes different transporters expression patterns., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This article describes a series of experiments investigating the effects of systemic or intraprefrontal administration of serotonergic agents on ketamine induced memory deficits in rats. First, rats were trained on an operant autoshaping task. Immediately after training, rats were injected with different doses of drug or saline. Following drug administration, rats were tested after 1.5 h for short-term memory (STM) and 24 h for long-term memory (LTM) of conditioned response. An increase or decrease in number of conditioned responses was an index of retention. The major results of this work show that ketamine impaired STM and this effect was reversed, by either systemic or intraprefrontal cortex administration of the agonist 5-HT(1A/7) 8-OH-DPAT, the 5-HT receptor antagonists MDL100907 (5-HT(2A)), SB-399885 (5-HT(6)), and SB-269970 (5-HT(7)). The ketamine STM-impairment effect was not altered by the 5-HT(1A) antagonist WAY 100635 or the 5-HT(1B) antagonist SB-224289. Notably, prefrontal cortex inhibition of translation or transcription interrupted STM without affecting LTM suggesting different signaling mechanisms. The interacting effect of NMDA and serotonin agents in memory function is an interesting and important area of study; both receptors are considered to be important targets for the development of antipsychotic medication. Particularly, 5-HT(1A/7), 5-HT(2A) 5-HT(6), and 5-HT(7) receptors present in prefrontal cortex, represent important targets for development of drugs for the treatment of SMT-deficits., ((c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)

Highlights • Serotonergic 5-HT 6 receptor tone on memory and/or amnesia. • Dose-response curves of 5-HT 6 receptor experimental molecules. • Different intrinsic activity. • Hippocampal serotonergic tone under amnesic states. Abstract To our knowledge the intrahippocampal serotonergic 5-HT 6 receptor tone on memory and amnesia models remains unexplored. Hence, in the present work we tested intrahippocampal administration of serotonin or 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) 6 receptor experimental molecules with differential intrinsic activity. Methods: In the present study, Automatized Autoshaping memory task was used, useful measuring memory, neural markers, and pharmacological effects. We are hypothesizing that experimental molecules with differential intrinsic activity might reveal serotonergic tone. Particularly, intrahippocampal administration of 5-HT 6 receptor compounds with differential intrinsic activity (i.e., agonistic and antagonistic) might evidencing a serotonergic tone via this receptor. Bilateral intrahippocampal dose-response curves show that administration of EMD386088 (10 and 100 μg) had no effect or (50 μg) decreased conditioned responses (CR) in short- and long-term memory (STM and LTM, respectively); while SB-399885 (10 or 100 μg) significantly decreased CR in STM and LTM (24 and 48-h) or (50 μg) had no effect; thus suggesting that there is a 5-HT 6 receptor tone regulating both STM and LTM. Moreover, intrahippocampal inactive doses of EMD386088 (5 μg) plus SB-399885 (0.5 μg) did not affect STM and LTM; however, partially or completely prevented the scopolamine or dizocilpine-induced amnesia. Thus confirming that both drugs exerted their effects through 5-HT 6 receptor and that there is a hippocampal serotonergic tone under amnesic states, similar to that striatal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]