Different cholinomimetics are used in conditions of CNS acetylcholine (ACh) deficit. In this study, we examined the effect of the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor galanthamine in a prolonged alcohol intake model of ACh deficit in male Wistar rats. After 16 weeks of alcohol intake and a 2-week pause, rats administered galanthamine (2.5 mg/kg/day i.p.) showed an improved speed of learning and short-term memory in the shuttle box test as compared to the saline-injected alcoholic group (p < 0.05). Four weeks later, significant improvement in the passive avoidance memory of alcoholic galanthamine-treated rats was noted in the eight-arm radial maze (14 day test duration) as compared to the saline-injected alcoholic group (p < 0.05). During the first week in the shuttle box test, the nonalcoholic galanthamine-treated animals exhibited significantly impaired performance as compared to the untreated nonalcoholic control, while four weeks later, in the eight-arm radial maze, both groups did not differ. Our results show that galanthamine improves the speed of learning, short-term memory and spatial orientation of rats in conditions of prolonged alcohol intake.
Iliev A, Traykov V, Prodanov D, Mantchev G, Yakimova K, Krushkov I, Boyadjieva N (1999) Effect of the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor galanthamine on learning and memory in prolonged alcohol intake rat model of acetylcholine deficit Methods Find Exp Clin Pharmacol21: 297-301
Iliev A, Traykov V, Prodanov D, Mantchev G, Yakimova K, Krushkov I, Boyadjieva N (1999) Methods Find Exp Clin Pharmacol21: 297-301
