Agomelatine (AGN) is an antidepressant, due to its dual activity roles; serotonin receptor (5-HT2c) antagonist, and melatonin receptors (MT1 and MT2 receptors) agonist. Scopolamine (SCP) acts as a nonselective muscarinic receptor antagonist; it can induce memory deficit by reducing acetyl choline (Ach) activity in the CNS. Donepezil (DNP) inhibits the destruction of Ach by inhibiting acetyl choline esterase, and it is usually used as a positive control to reverse amnesia induced by scopolamine in behavioral tests. This research investigated the role of AGN in long-term memory enhancement, and in the prophylaxis of long-term memory deficit induced by SCP. The study included 45 adult male white mice of Balb/C strain, divided into 5 groups; AGN group, SCP & AGN group, SCP & DNP group, SCP group and control group which gave sodium chloride 0.9%. Evaluation of long-term memory depends on the calculation of latency time in the target quadrant in Morris water maze (MWM) test and depends on the calculation of index of latency in Passive avoidance (PA) Task. This study showed that AGN raised latency time in the target quadrant in MWM test with a highly significant difference P<0.0001 as compared to SCP group and AGN increased the index of latency in PA task with a statistical difference P<0.05 as compared to SCP group. But, AGN didn't increase latency time in the target quadrant P>0.05 as compared to a normal control group in MWM test and it didn't have a statistical difference P>0.05 in the index of latency as compared to normal control group in PA task. Thus, AGN had a prophylactic effect on long-term memory. But it didn't have an enhancing effect on long-term memory in normal mice.
Baghdad Science Journal.
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