The effect of angiotensin II and its fragments on post-alcohol impairment of learning and memory.

Angiotensin II(1-8) (A II) and its fragments: angiotensin III(2-8) (A III), angiotensin IV(3-8) (AIV), angiotensin V (4-8) (A V) and angiotensin VI(3-7) (A VI) accelerate acquisition of avoidance response and prolong their extinction. A II fragments are devoid classical A II activities such as the effects on blood pressure and thirst. Alcohol administered chronically (for 9 weeks) depresses the ability to retrieve and acquire avoidance responses. The investigated A II fragments counteract the post-alcohol impairment of learning and memory processes (A V being somewhat less active). Fragments A IV and A VI normalize the retrieval in offspring of mothers exposed to alcohol pre- and post-natally.