Chelation therapy improves spatial learning and memory impairment in gallium arsenide intoxicated rats

The chelation potency of Desferrioxamine (DFO), Deferiprone (L-1) and Deferasirox (Ex) to improve spatial learning and memory impairment was investigated in gallium arsenide (20 mg/kg) exposed rats. After the chelation therapy, the Morris water maze test was performed and the rats were sacrificed and brains were sampled for determination of gallium and arsenic ions by ICP-OES. The results showed that the distance traveled and escape latency to find the platform in three consecutive blocks significantly increased after exposure to gallium arsenide. Moreover these parameters significantly decreased in the probe test. Whereas administration of chelators significantly improved memory performance in chelating therapy groups. Also, the results showed that the concentration of gallium and arsenic in the brain tissue after chelating therapy significantly decreased. Our results suggest that chelators are able to compensate the learning and memory impairments, probably due to the disposal of gallium and arsenic from the brain tissue.