[Effects of aminooxyacetic acid on the learning and memory ability and its possible mechanism in rats with chronic alcoholism].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of aminooxyacetic acid (AOAA) on learning and memory ability and possible mechanisms in rats with chronic alcoholism. METHODS: Sixty SD male rats were randomly divided into three groups on average.The model group rats and the remedy group rats were fed with the water containing (v/v) 6% alcohol for 28 days.After 14 days, the remedy group rats were treated with AOAA (5 mg/kg·d) by intraperitoneal injection once a day for 14 days and the other two group rats were treated with the equal amount of saline by intraperitoneal injection every day.Five days before the end of the experiment, the water maze test was carried out to test the learning and memory ability of rats for 5 days.Subsequently, the content of H2S, the activity of ATP enzyme and the expression of 5-HT in hippocampus were measured. RESULTS: Compared with the rats in the control group, the latency and the swimming distance of the 2nd to the 4th day, the content of H2S in hippocampus of rats in the model group were all increased, the mitochondrial ATP enzyme activity in hippocampus and the positive expression of 5-HT in hippocampus CA1 and CA3 of rats in the model group were decreased (P<0.01).Compared with the rats in the model group, the latency and the swimming distance of the 2nd to the 4th day, the content of H2S in hippocampus of the rats in the remedy group were decreased, the mitochondrial ATP enzyme activity in hippocampus and the positive expression of 5-HT in hippocampus CA1 and CA3 of rats in the model group were increased (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: AOAA could alleviate the symptoms of chronic alcoholism rats, which may be related to the effects of AOAA on the content of H2S, the mitochondrial enzyme activity and the expression of 5-HT in hippocampus.