Anaesthesia of the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) using continuous intravenous infusion of alphaxalone/alphadalone.

A safe means of anaesthetizing common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) for a study using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to investigate cerebral ischaemia was required. Continuous infusion of alphaxalone/alphadalone was used to anaesthetize 37 marmosets for non-recovery and recovery experiments. This was found to give safe, reliable anaesthesia when coupled with pulse oximetry and electrocardiographic (ECG) monitoring.

The profile of sabcomeline (SB-202026), a functionally selective M1 receptor partial agonist, in the marmoset.

1. Sabcomeline (SB-202026, 0.03 mg kg(-1), p.o.), a potent and functionally selective M1 receptor partial agonist, caused a statistically significant improvement in the performance of a visual object discrimination task by marmosets. No such improvement was seen after RS86 (0.1 mg kg(-1), p.o.). 2. Initial learning, which only required an association of object with reward and an appropriate response to be made, was not significantly affected. Reversal learning, which required both the extinction of the previously learned response and the acquisition of a new response strategy, was significantly improved after administration of sabcomeline (0.03 mg kg(-1), p.o.). 3. Sabcomeline (0.03 and 0.1 mg kg(-1), p.o.) had no significant effect on mean blood pressure measured for 2 h after administration in the conscious marmoset. 4. Sabcomeline (0.03 mg kg(-1), p.o.) caused none of the overt effects such as emesis or behaviours often seen after the administration of muscarinic agonists, e.g. face rubbing and licking. 5. This is the first study to demonstrate cognitive enhancement by a functionally selective M1 receptor partial agonist in a normal (i.e. non-cognitively impaired) non-human primate and this effect was seen at a dose which did not cause side effects. 6. Perseverative behaviour and deficient acquisition of new information are seen in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Therefore the data suggest that sabcomeline might be of therapeutic benefit in the treatment of AD.

The effects of SB 206284A, a novel neuronal calcium-channel antagonist, in models of cerebral ischemia.

The effects of SB 206284A, 1-[7-(4-benzyloxyphenoxy)heptyl] piperidine hydrochloride, have been investigated in vitro on calcium and sodium currents in rat-cultured dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurones and potassium-mediated calcium influx in rat synaptosomes. Cardiovascular hemodynamic effects in both anesthetized and conscious rats, and neuroprotective activity in in vivo cerebral ischemia models were also investigated. In the rat DRG cells, SB 206284A caused almost complete block of the sustained inward Ca2+ current (IC50 = 2.4 microM), suggesting that the compound is an effective blocker of slowly inactivating, high-voltage calcium current. SB 206284A reduced locomotor hyperactivity in the gerbil bilateral carotid artery occlusion model without affecting ischemia-induced damage in the hippocampal CA1 region. In the rat middle cerebral artery occlusion model, SB 206284A reduced lesion volume in the posterior forebrain, and in the rat photochemical cortical lesion model, lesion volume was reduced even when treatment was delayed until 4 hours after occlusion. At neuroprotective doses, SB 206284A had no cardiovascular effects. These findings show that SB 206284A is a novel calcium channel antagonist that shows neuroprotective properties.

Failure of isradipine to reduce infarct size in mouse, gerbil, and rat models of cerebral ischemia.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The dihydropyridine L-type calcium channel blocker isradipine has been reported to exhibit neuroprotective properties in some, but not all, studies performed in the rat middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model. In the present study, we examined isradipine in several other models of focal and global ischemia: rat rose bengal, mouse MCAO, and gerbil bilateral carotid artery occlusion (BCAO). For comparison, a novel calcium channel blocker, SB201823A, that we have previously shown to be neuroprotective in rat and gerbil models was also examined in the mouse. METHODS: In the gerbil BCAO model, isradipine was administered at 2.5 mg/kg i.p. as a single dose 60 minutes after ischemia (n = 10). Corresponding controls received vehicle (n = 10), and sham-operated animals received no treatment (n = 6). Locomotor activity and histological assessments were made at 4 days after ischemia. In the rat photothrombotic occlusion model, isradipine was administered at 2.5 mg/kg i.p. as a single dose 60 minutes after ischemia (n = 10), and corresponding controls (n = 10) received vehicle. Histological assessment was made at 7 days after ischemia. In the mouse MCAO model, isradipine was also administered at 2.5 mg/kg i.p. as a single dose 60 minutes after ischemia. Histological assessments were made at 1 (n = 13), 2 (n = 9), and 4 (n = 9) days after ischemia. Vehicle numbers were n = 10, n = 6, and n = 8, respectively. Isradipine and SB201823A were also examined using a combined preischemia and postischemia regimen. Isradipine was administered at 2.5 mg/kg i.p. before occlusion, 1.25 mg/kg i.p. 1 hour after occlusion, 1.25 mg/kg i.p. 2 hours after occlusion, and 2.5 mg/kg twice a day for 3 days after occlusion (n = 16). Corresponding controls received vehicle at the same time points (n = 14). SB201823A was administered 30 minutes before occlusion, 30 minutes after occlusion, and twice daily for 3 days (n = 12). Corresponding controls received vehicle (n = 9). Histological assessment was performed at 4 days after ischemia. RESULTS: When given after ischemia, isradipine failed to affect lesion volume in both the rat and mouse models. In the gerbil, locomotor hyperactivity and hippocampal cell loss were unaffected. Given before and after ischemia in the mouse, isradipine was also ineffective, whereas SB201823A produced a significant reduction in lesion volume. CONCLUSIONS: The L-type calcium channel blocker isradipine was devoid of neuroprotective activity in focal and global models of cerebral ischemia in three species of normotensive animals. These results were compared with data for the novel calcium channel blocker SB201823A, which exhibited a significant effect after pre- and postocclusion administration in the mouse model of permanent focal ischemia.

Correlation between high-field T2-weighted MR imaging and histology of ischemic lesions in gerbil brain.

Global forebrain ischemia in the Mongolian gerbil is a common animal model for use in stroke research. We produced lesions of graded severity in gerbil brains (after prescreening by MR imaging) by performing 6-minute bilateral carotid artery occlusions while monitoring pericranial temperature with a temporalis muscle thermocouple probe and maintaining the temperature at 32 degrees C, 36 degrees C, or 40 degrees C. Lesion severity was scored 4 days after occlusion from findings on spin-echo images acquired at 7 T and from histologic scores. Statistically significant correlation was observed between the MR imaging score and brain temperature and between the MR imaging score and the area of the CA region of the hippocampus measured by histology. In addition, because prescreening with MR imaging revealed abnormalities in the hippocampus of some of the animals, and these animals were rejected from the study, the statistical significance of the result could be strengthened.

Evidence against a specific effect of cholinergic drugs on spatial memory in primates.

A scopolamine-like delay-dependent impairment in spatial delayed response performance in rhesus monkeys was induced by irrelevant interpolated activity or by using extended retention intervals. Physostigmine readily reversed the effects of scopolamine but had no effect on performance in young monkeys performing an irrelevant distractor task or in monkeys tested using extended retention intervals. Reducing stimulus control did not impair performance and did not alter the dose-response curve for induction of a deficit by scopolamine. Reducing the stimulus presentation time impaired performance across all retention intervals in a way which did not resemble the effect of scopolamine and which disappeared with practice. Our findings do not support the proposal that physostigmine interacts specifically with short-term spatial memory in primates.

Induction of cognitive impairment by scopolamine and noncholinergic agents in rhesus monkeys.

In primates, treatment with scopolamine impairs performance of a spatial delayed response task in a way which mimics deficits seen spontaneously in aged primates and demented patients. Despite their efficacy in reversing scopolamine induced disruption, the effects of cholinergic agonists on cognition in aged primates and dements are unimpressive, suggesting that other neurotransmitter systems are also involved in this type of deficit. We have induced a scopolamine-like impairment of spatial delayed response performance in rhesus monkeys using phencyclidine (0.1-0.2 mg/kg i.m.), lorazepam (0.4-0.6 mg/kg s.c.) or tetrahydrocannabinol (1-4 mg/kg p.o.), but not amphetamine (0.1-0.4 mg/kg i.m.), yohimbine (0.1-1.0 mg/kg i.m.) or morphine (2-4 mg/kg i.m.). Our findings suggest that disruption of specific neurotransmitter systems other than acetylcholine may contribute importantly to cognitive decline in aging and dementia.

Direct comparison of cognitive facilitation by physostigmine and tetrahydroaminoacridine in two primate models.

Cognitive facilitation by physostigmine and tetrahydroaminoacridine (THA) was compared in two primate models. Disruption of spatial delayed response performance by scopolamine (0.03 mg/kg) was fully reversed by coadministration of 5 doses of physostigmine in the range 0.03-0.08 mg/kg, but by only one dose (4.0 mg/kg) of THA; partial reversal of some effects of scopolamine was observed at 1 and 3 mg/kg of THA. Visual recognition memory was enhanced following treatment with 4 doses of physostigmine in the range 0.001-0.03 mg/kg. The effect of THA across the group of animals was not significant but performance tended to improve using a dose of 0.8 mg/kg. Our findings indicate that THA does not have a superior profile to physostigmine as a cognitive enhancer in primates.

Visuospatial learning impairment following lesion of the cholinergic projection to the hippocampus.

Ibotenic acid lesions of the vertical limb of the diagonal band of Broca (VDB) in marmosets produced significant depletions in choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity and a decrease in acetylcholinesterase (AChE) staining in the hippocampal formation and entorhinal cortex (to which the cholinergic neurones of the VDB project) but not in the neocortex or amygdala. Marmosets with VDB lesions were impaired on acquisition (but not retention) of repeated trial visuospatial tasks. This impairment was ameliorated by pretreatment with the cholinergic agonist pilocarpine indicating (a) that the learning impairment was a consequence of damage to the cholinergic system and (b) that the cholinergic projections exert a modulatory or enabling function on the target areas which can be substituted by a non-impulse-dependent drug action. Unlike marmosets with lesions of the basal nucleus of Meynert (NBM), VDB-lesioned animals were not impaired on learning repeated trial object discrimination and showed no change in general behaviour although they did become hypothermic and mesomorphic. These results are consistent with the suggestion that the hippocampus (perhaps in conjunction with the entorhinal cortex) is concerned primarily with memory for responses but not memory for reward and that lesions of the cholinergic system produce impairments equivalent to the effects of ablation of the terminal areas.