Methamphetamine mimics the neurochemical profile of aging in rats and impairs recognition memory

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2012

Authors

Pedro Melo (Author) Other; Ana Magalhaes (Author) ICBAS; Cecilia J Alves (Author) Other; Maria Amelia Tavares (Author) FMUP; Liliana de Sousa (Author) ICBAS; Teresa Summavielle (Author) Other; Pedro Moradas Ferreira (Author) ICBAS

Journal

Title: NeuroToxicology

Vol. 33

Pages: 491-499

ISSN: 0161-813X

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 22 Citations

Scopus - 22 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Medical and Health sciences > Basic medicine

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-002-99P

DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2012.03.002

Abstract (EN): Brain neurochemistry and cognition performance are thought to decline with age. Accumulating data indicate that similar events occur after prolonged methamphetamine (MA) exposure. Using the rat as a model, the present study was designed to uncover common alteration patterns in brain neurochemistry and memory performance between aging and prolonged MA exposure. To this end, animals were treated with a chronic binge MA administration paradigm (20 mg/kg/day from postnatal day 91 to 100). Three-age control groups received isovolumetric saline treatment and were tested at the MA age-matched period, and at 12 and 20 months. We observed that both MA and aged animals presented a long, but not short, time impairment in novelty preference and an increased anxiety-like behavior. Neurochemical analysis indicated similar MA- and age-related impairments in dopamine, serotonin and metabolites in the striatum, prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. Thus, the present data illustrate that MA may be used to mimic age-related effects on neurotransmitter systems and advocate MA treatment as a feasible animal model to study neuronal processes associated with aging.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 9