Failure of vasopressin to enhance memory in a passive avoidance task in rats

Neurosci Lett. 1982 Jan 22;28(1):87-92. doi: 10.1016/0304-3940(82)90213-0.

Abstract

Several authors have suggested that the neurohypophysial hormone arginine-8-vasopressin (AVP) facilitates both the consolidation and the retrieval of memory. This conclusion has relied mainly on the finding that AVP increases the latency of re-entry into a box where shock has previously been encountered, that is, in a passive avoidance task. Our results do not support this interpretation. On the contrary, we found that post-trial, intraventricular (i.t.) administration of AVP (1 ng in 1 microliter) produced relatively short as well as long latencies (a bimodal effect), suggesting that the peptide acts on motivational processes, for example by increasing arousal.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Arginine Vasopressin / pharmacology*
  • Arousal / drug effects
  • Avoidance Learning / drug effects*
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Male
  • Memory / drug effects*
  • Mental Recall / drug effects*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Inbred Strains
  • Reaction Time / drug effects

Substances

  • Arginine Vasopressin