Abstract
Background: The exogenous and endogenous β-carbolines , and some of their metabolites have a stimulating effect on the dopaminergic system. β-carbolines can also improve learning and memory while increase hippocampal dopamine levels and dendritic and synaptic proliferation . Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of chronic administration of norharman on spatial learning and memory in rats. Methods: In this experimental study, 48 f emale wistar rats were randomly divided into control, alchohol and 4 norharmane groups. The control group were received no treatment. In alchohol and norharman groups, rats were received 0.2 ml alchohol or 1, 2, 3 or 4 mg/kg norharman intraperitoneally for 5 days before tests and 5 days during tests. All rates were tested for spatial learning and memory in the Morris water maze. Data were analyzed using student T-test, one way ANOVA and LSD as post hoc test. Findings: N orharman improved spatial learning in a dose dependent manner. T he difference between the 4 mg/kg norharman group and the control group was statistically significant in the 2nd day . N orharman also improved spatial memory in which lower doses improved spatial memory more than higher doses. T he difference between the 2 mg/kg and 4 mg/kg norharman groups was statistically significant. Conclusion: With regards to the results, norharman as an endogenous bioactive molecule, might have a key role in the modulation of learning and memory functions.
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Copyright
© 2024, Journal of Inflammatory Diseases. This open-access article is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 (CC BY-NC 4.0) International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which allows for the copying and redistribution of the material only for noncommercial purposes, provided that the original work is properly cited.