HIPPOCAMPAL EFFECTS OF NEURONOSTATIN ON MEMORY, ANXIETY-LIKE BEHAVIOUR AND FOOD INTAKE IN RATS

VALERIA CARLINI; MARISA GHERSI,; LAURA GABACH; HELGI B. SCHIöTH; MARIELA F. PÉREZ.; OSCAR A RAMIREZ; MARTA FIOL DE CUNEO

NEUROSCIENCE

PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

Año: 2011 vol. 197 p. 145 - 145

0306-4522

13-amino acid peptide named neuronostatin(NST) encoded in the somatostatin pro-hormone has beenrecently reported. It is produced throughout the body, particularlyin brain areas that have significant actions over themetabolic and autonomic regulation. The present study wasperformed in order to elucidate the functional role of NST onmemory, anxiety-like behavior and food intake and the hippocampalparticipation in these effects. When the peptidewas intra-hippocampally administered at 3.0 nmol/l, it impairedmemory retention in both, object recognition and stepdowntest. Also, this dose blocked the hippocampal longtermpotentiation (LTP) generation. When NST was intrahippocampallyadministered at 0.3 nmol/l and 3.0 nmol/l,anxiolytic effects were observed. Also, the administration inthe third ventricle at the higher dose (3.0 nmol/l) inducedsimilar effects, and both doses reduced food intake. The mainresult of the present study is the relevance of the hippocampalformation in the behavioral ef