Antiamnesic properties of some neuropeptides and the involvement of neurotransmitters in the rats.

The effects of certain neuropeptides on electroconvulsive (ECS) shock-induced amnesia were studied in rats. The ECS was applied immediately after the learning a one-trial passive avoidance paradigm. The peptides--rat atrial natriuretic peptide (rANP 1-28, ANP), porcine brain natriuretic peptide (pBNP 1-32, BNP), rat calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and bombesin--were injected into the lateral brain ventricle 30 min after the ECS. In order to study the possible role of neurotransmitters in mediating the action of the peptides on amnesia, the animals were treated immediately after the ECS with, doses which themselves did not modify either the learning itself or the amnesic action of the ECS. All the above peptides attenuated the ECS-induced amnesia, but the transmitters involved in these actions differed. The anticonvulsive action of ANP was prevented by haloperidol (10 micrograms/kg i. p.), propranolol (10 mg/kg i. p.) and atropine (2 mg/kg i. p.). Phenoxybenzamine (2.0 mg/kg i. p.), bicuculline (1 mg/kg i. p.), methysergide (5 mg/kg i. p.) and naloxone (0.3 mg/kg i. p.) had no effect. Besides alpha-adrenergic and cholinergic receptor blockers the beta-adrenergic blocker propranolol was also effective in preventing the antiamnesic action of the BNP. As concerns the action of bombesin, only haloperidol was effective. Alpha- and beta-adrenergic and cholinergic receptor blockers and opiates are involved in the antiamnesic properties of CGRP. The results showed that, despite the fact that the studied, peptides attenuated the ECS-induced amnesia, different transmitters are involved in their action.