The effects of the 5-HT6 receptor agonist EMD and the 5-HT7 receptor agonist AS19 on memory formation

Abstract Growing evidence indicates that 5-hydrohytryptamine (5-HT) receptors mediate learning and memory. Particularly interesting are 5-HT 6 and 5-HT 7 receptors, which are localized in brain areas involved in memory formation. Interestingly, recently selective 5-HT 6 and 5-HT 7 receptor agonists and antagonists have become available. Previous evidence indicates that 5-HT 6 or 5-HT 7 receptors antagonists had no effects, improved memory formation and/or reversed amnesia. Herein, the effects of EMD (a 5-HT 6 receptor agonist) and AS19 (a 5-HT 7 receptor agonist) in the associative learning task of autoshaping were studied. Post-training systemic administration of EMD (1–10 mg/kg) or AS19 (1–10 mg/kg) were tested in short-term memory (STM) and long-term memory (LTM). Results showed that only EMD 5.0 mg/kg impaired both STM and LTM. AS19 at 1–10 mg/kg significantly impaired STM but not LTM. In those groups used to test only LTM, EMD impaired it; while AS19 improved LTM. Moreover, in the interaction experiments, the STM EMD-impairment effect was partially reversed by the selective 5-HT 6 receptor antagonist SB-399885 (10 mg/kg). The STM AS19-impairment effect (5.0 mg/kg) was not altered by the selective 5-HT 1A antagonist WAY 100635 (0.3 mg/kg) but reversed by the selective 5-HT 7 receptor antagonist SB-269970 (10.0 mg/kg). The AS19-SB-269970 combination impaired LTM. Taken together these data suggest that the stimulation of 5-HT 6 impaired both STM and LTM. 5-HT 7 receptors stimulation impaired STM but improved LTM. And these results are discussed in the context of their possible neural bases.