The aim of this study was to inve stigate the effect of prenatal methamphetamine (MA) exposure and application of the same drug in adulthood on cognitive functions of adult female rats. Animals were prenatally exposed to MA (5 mg/kg) or saline (control group). The cognitive function was tested as ability of spatial learning in the Morris Water Maze (MWM). Each day of the experiment animals received an injection of MA (1 mg/kg) or saline. Our results demonstrated that prenatal MA exposure did not affect the latency to reach the hidden platform or the distance traveled during the Place Navigation Test; however, the speed of swimming was increased in prenatally MA-exposed rats compared to controls regardless of the treatment in adulthood. MA treatment in adulthood increased the latency and distance when compared to controls regardless of the prenatal exposure. Neither prenatal exposure, nor tr eatment in adulthood affected memory retrieval. As far as the estrous cycle is concerned, our results showed that prenatally MA-exposed females in proestrus/estrus swam faster than females in diestrus. This effect of estrous cycle was not apparent in control females. In conclusion, our results indicate that postnatal, but not prenatal exposure to MA affects learning of adult female rats., E. Macúchová, K. Nohejlová-Deykun, R. Šlamberová., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
It is known that psychostimulants including methamphetamine (MA) have neurotoxic effect, especially, if they are targeting CNS during its critical periods of development. The present study was aimed on evaluation of cognitive changes following scheduled prenatal MA exposure in combination with long-term exposure in adulthood of male rats. Two periods of gestation were targeted: 1st half - the embryonic day (ED) 1-11 and 2nd half - ED 12-22. Rat mothers received subcutaneously a daily injection of MA (5 mg/kg) or saline (SAL, 1 ml/kg) throughout scheduled periods. Male offspring were tested for cognitive changes in the Morris Water Maze (MWM) in adulthood. Each day of the experiment animals received an injection of MA (1 mg/kg) or SAL (1 ml/kg) during 12 days. Our results demonstrated that in the group of animals exposed to the drug during ED 1-11, neither prenatal MA exposure, nor adult MA treatment changed the performance in the MWM test. Only the velocity was increased in group with long-term MA treatment (SAL/MA and MA/MA). In the group of animals exposed to the drug during ED 12-22, rats exposed to MA prenatally and also in adulthood (MA/MA) swam faster but learned the position of the platform slower in the Place Navigation Test than animals exposed to SAL in adulthood (MA/SAL). In the Probe Test, MA/SAL had decreased velocity and swam shorter distance than MA/MA or SAL/SAL rats suggesting increased floating of these animals. In the Memory Retention Test, SAL/MA rats swam shorter distance than SAL/SAL or MA/MA animals suggesting changes in used strategies in memory recall. As conclusion, our results suggest differences in the effect of combination of prenatal and adult exposure to MA. These effects further depend on the stage of CNS development and schedule of MA exposure affecting intrauterine development in male rats., I. Hrebíčková, M. Malinová-Ševčíková, E. Macúchová, K. Nohejlová, R. Šlamberová., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Spatial navigation comprises a widely-studied complex of animal behaviors. Its study offers many methodological advantages over other approaches, enabling assessment of a variety of experimental questions and the possibility to compare the results across different species. Spatial navigation in laboratory animals is often considered a model of higher human cognitive functions including declarative memory. Almost fifteen years ago, a novel dry-arena task for rodents was designed in our laboratory, originally named the place avoidance task, and later a modification of this approach was established and called active place avoidance task. It employs a continuously rotating arena, upon which animals are trained to avoid a stable sector defined according to room-frame coordina tes. This review describes the development of the place avoidance tasks, evaluates the cognitive processes associated with performance and explores the application of place avoidance in the testing of spatial learning after neuropharmacological, lesion and other experimental manipulations., A. Stuchlík ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy