Effects of oxotremorine on inhibitory avoidance behaviour in two inbred strains of mice: interaction with 5-methoxy-NN-dimethyltriptamine.
Psychopharmacology January 1, 1993 F Pavone, S Fagioli, C Castellano 19 citations
In mice, the drug oxotremorine, which stimulates the cholinergic system, improved memory retention in a dose-dependent way, while 5-MeODMT, a serotonergic agonist, impaired it. DBA/2 mice were more sensitive to oxotremorine than C57BL/6 mice, but strain differences did not affect response to the serotonergic drug. When both drugs were given together, the memory improvement from oxotremorine was blocked. The findings confirm that cholinergic activity aids memory and suggest that serotonergic activity inhibits memory, with an interaction between the two systems during memory consolidation.