NAFTIDROFURYL OXALATE, NOOTROPIC EFFECTS ON THE SCOPOLAMINE-INDUCED AND THE BASAL FOREBRAIN LESION-INDUCED AMNESIA IN RATS

We studied the effects of naftidrofuryl oxalate on scopolamine- and basal forebrain (BF) lesion-induced amnesia using passive avoidance and multiple T-maze tasks, in comparison with Ca-hopantenate and physostigmine in rats. In the passive avoidance task, one-week treatment with naftidrofuryl oxalate (12.5 and 25 mg/kg, IP) ameliorated BF lesion-induced amnesia. The multiple T-maze task was done with two training sessions per day for five continuous days. We measured the number of errors made from start box to goal box. Naftidrofuryl oxalate (12.5 mg/kg, IP, b.i.d.) and physostigmine (0.1 mg/kg, IP, b.i.d.) attenuated scopolamine- and BF lesion-induced amnesia. However, treatment with naftidrofuryl oxalate for one week failed to inhibit the decrease of the choline acetyltransferase induced by the BF lesion. Ca-hopantenate did not show attenuation of amnesia induced by the scopolamine or BF lesion. These results suggest that naftidrofuryl oxalate enhances the storage of spatial information, and that the nootropic effects of naftidrofuryl oxalate may be produced by an indirect activation of the cholinergic system through serotonergic neuronal systems.