The Effect of Atropine and Neostigmine on the Memory of Rats

Park, Chong Min; Kim, Jong Bun

Abstract

The effect of anticholinergics on memory was studied using 32 male Sprague-Dawley rats. In the control group the trained rats were tested the first performance time of T-maze and the second performance time checked 4-6 hours after injection of 1.0-1.5 mL of normal saline via penile vein. For the experimental groups, after checking the first performance time, 0.1 mg/kg of atropine sulfate in group B, and 1.0 mg/kg in group C was injected via penile vein.And 30 mg/kg injected into intraperitoneal cavity in group D. But for the group E, the mixture of 1.0 mg/kg of atropine and 0.01 mg/kg of neostigmine was injected into the penile vein. 4-6 hours after injection the second performance time was checked and continued these sets of experiment once a day for 6 days. To compare the number of errors (the qualitative effect) the accuracy rate (Number of right trials/Number of total trials x 100) was checked. To eompare the running time (the quantitative effect) the mean performance ratio (II/I x 100) (i.e., I is the score in the first performance time and II is the score in the second performance time) was compared between control and experimental groups. The results were as follows ; 1) The percentage of correct performance was 84.2% in control group, but 86.1% in group B, 91.0% in C, 96.0% in D and 89.6% in E was noted. 2) The performance ratio of control group A was 100.2 but 82.4 in B, 94.7 in C, 83.2 in D and 89.4 in E was recorded. 3) These results suggest that posttraining exposure to atropine sulfate facilitates the accuracy of performance and shortens the running time and no different effect was observed by additional injection of neostigmine in rats.