Effects of cycloheximide administered in conjunction with nicotine on retention of a passive avoidance task in mice.

Abstract

Retention of a passive avoidance task was studied in mice given either cycloheximide or cycloheximide in combination with nicotine. Similar experiments [exp] were conducted: in the 1st exp, the effects of these drugs were studied in inbred C57Bl/6J mice; in the 2nd exp, the effects of the drugs were studied in genetically heterogenous mice. Cycloheximide had a deleterious effect on retention of the passive avoidance task. Larger doses of cycloheximide were necessary to disrupt memory in heterogenous mice than in C57Bl/6J animals. Nicotine, when administered in conjunction with cycloheximide, abolished the memory disruptive effects of cycloheximide. A time-dependent consolidation model of memory storage was discussed.