Effects of vinpocetine in scopolamine‐induced learning and memory impairments

Abstract

Abstract Scopolamine‐induced memory dysfunctions are related to reduced cholinergic transmission. In our experiments scopolamine (3.0 mg/kg i.p.) inhibited acquisition and induced retrograde amnesia in a one‐trial step‐ through passive avoidance task in mice. We have studied the effect of vinpocetine (Cavinton R ), in the amnesic states mentioned above compared to that of vincamine, nicergoline (Sermion R ), and papaverine, to assess its activity on learning and memory processes impaired by scopolamine. Vinpocetine decreased the disrupting effect of scopolamine on acquisition and prevented and restituted the memory loss with 21.0 and 7.0 mg/kg i.p. peak effect dose, respectively. It facilitated the recall of memory traces damaged by scopolamine. Vincamine (3.5–63.7 mg/kg i.p.) showed a favorable effect in two of the four tests (reversal of amnesia and recall). Nicergoline (5–40 mg/kg i.p.) exerted moderate activity, and papaverine (10–40 mg/kg i.p.) was ineffective in the situations tested. Our findings indicate that vinpocetine directly or indirectly influences the cholinergic system, which may explain its previously reported beneficial effect in electroconvulsive shock‐ and hypoxia‐induced experimental amnesic states, and its therapeutic activity in human mental and cognitive disorders.