Effect of prolonged co-dergocrine mesylate treatment on choline acetyltransferase levels in rat cerebral cortex after lesioning of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis (of Meynert).

The effects of monolateral lesions of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis (of Meynert) and of 1 or 4 weeks of co-dergocrine mesylate treatment (0.1 or 0.6 mg/kg) on choline acetyltransferase activity in rat frontal, parietal and occipital cortex were studied. According to the literature, ibotenic acid-induced lesions of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis cause a significant decrease in choline acetyltransferase activity in frontal and parietal cortex, but had no effect on enzyme activity in the occipital cortex or cortical areas controlateral to the lesion. Co-dergocrine administration caused, after 4 weeks of treatment, a dose related increase of choline acetyltransferase activity in the frontal and parietal cortex in the lesioned side. In contrast, it had no effect on the enzyme activity in the other cortical regions studied. The possible significance of the increased choline acetyltransferase activity elicited by co-dergocrine mesylate in cerebral cortex areas sensitive to nucleus basalis magnocellularis lesions is discussed.