Bupropion and sertraline enhance retrieval of recent and remote long-term memory in rats

Wistar rats were trained in step-down inhibitory avoidance at the age of 3 months, and tested for retrieval either 1 day later or 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 or 19 months later, when the animals were 6, 9, 12, 15, 18 or 22 months old, respectively. Bupropion (20 or 60 mg/kg) and sertraline (3.3 or 10 mg/kg) given orally 6 or 3 h before retention testing, respectively, enhanced retrieval of this task at all training-test intervals, despite the fact that retrieval at the longest intervals was practically not seen in control animals. The effect cannot be explained by influences of the drugs on locomotor activity; the treatments had no effect on open field behaviour at the age of 3, 8 or 21 months. The findings may be relevant to the use of these drugs as cognitive enhancers in elderly subjects. (C) 2002 Lippincott Williams Wilkins.