Effects of hippocampal histaminergic activity on memory evocation

• Grant number: 08/06327-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: November 01, 2008
• End date: October 31, 2009
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Pharmacology - Neuropsychopharmacology
• Principal Investigator: Carla Christina Medalha
• Grantee: Barbara Caetano Pereira
• Host Institution: Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus Baixada Santista. Santos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Several evidences suggest that brain histamine is involved in learning and memory processes, but the actual contribution of the hippocampal histaminergic system to these processes remains controversial. The aim of the present study is to analyze the reduction and increase of histaminergic activity in dorsal hippocampus and its effects on memory evocation on inhibitory avoidance. For this purpose the animals will be bilaterally implanted with guided cannulae and trained in an inhibitory avoidance paradigm. On the training day animal will be in an active avoidance box, with two compartments, black and white, separated by a sliding door. The animals will be placed in the white compartment and at the moment they go into the black compartment; the door will be closed automatically. The latency is 60s. The animals that do not cross to the black compartment will be removed from the experiment. The animals will be divided into 5 groups, and treated with saline, pirilamine (0,5 and 1,0µg/hemisphere), and clobenpropit (5 and 10,0µg/hemisphere) 20 minutes before test. (AU)