Intrastriatal injection of hypoxanthine reduces striatal serotonin content and impairs spatial memory performance in rats

Metab Brain Dis. 2007 Mar;22(1):67-76. doi: 10.1007/s11011-006-9038-x. Epub 2007 Jan 13.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of intrastriatal injection of hypoxanthine, a metabolite accumulated in Lesch-Nyhan disease, on rats' performance in the Morris water maze tasks, along with the monoamine content in striatum of rats. Male adult Wistar rats were divided in two groups: (1) saline-injected and (2) hypoxanthine-injected group. Seven days after solutions infusion, animals were trained in the Morris Water Maze or were sacrificed for evaluation of the striatal monoamine content. Results show that hypoxanthine administration caused impairment on spatial navigation in the acquisition phase in reference memory task in the Morris Water Maze, as well as in the latency to cross over the platform location in probe trial, when compared to the saline group (control). Hypoxanthine also altered rat performance in the working memory. Although striatal dopamine metabolites content did not change, treated animals showed a reduction of tissue levels of serotonin (5-HT) and 5- hydroxyl-indoleacetic acid (5-HIAA). These results show that intra-striatal hypoxanthine administration provoked impairment of spatial learning/memory in rats without affecting striatal dopaminergic system, although serotonergic pathways seem to have been affected.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • 3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Corpus Striatum / drug effects*
  • Corpus Striatum / metabolism
  • Corpus Striatum / physiopathology
  • Dopamine / metabolism
  • Homovanillic Acid / metabolism
  • Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid / metabolism
  • Hypoxanthine / toxicity*
  • Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome / metabolism
  • Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome / physiopathology*
  • Male
  • Maze Learning / drug effects
  • Memory / drug effects*
  • Memory / physiology
  • Microinjections
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Serotonin / metabolism*
  • Space Perception / drug effects*
  • Space Perception / physiology

Substances

  • 3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid
  • Hypoxanthine
  • Serotonin
  • Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid
  • Dopamine
  • Homovanillic Acid