Memory effects of a group of newly-synthesized pyrrolidine derivatives with putative nootropic effect.

The original pyrrolidine derivatives with putative nootropic effect: para-chloro-phenoxyacetyl-2-pyrrolidinone (Mf-P), 1-adamantanyl-2-pyrrolidinone (A-P), 2-oxo-1-pyrrolidine-3,7-dimethylxanthine (A-T) and para-benzoyl-1,4-dipyrrolidinone (p-P), were studied. Toxicological screening performed on mice demonstrated the low toxicity of the compounds. Five- or seven-day oral administration of the substances to rats in a dose of 100 mg/kg weight facilitated the learning process and improved the memory of the rats with most of the conditioned-reflex methods used. Application of Mf-P to 2- and 24-month-old rats for 8 days induced changes in the levels of some biogenic monoamines in the brain structures studied. The results obtained, as well as the results of other studies in this laboratory, show that the pyrrolidine derivatives studied, which can be considered to be original new aniracetam analogues, improve the memory process. This effect varies strongly depending on the regime of application of the compounds studied, on the memory capacity of the experimental animals and on the experimental method used. The changes in the brain neurotransmission induced by the substances studied play an essential role in their mechanism of action.