Effect of adenosine A2A receptors gene knock-out on spatial working memory and reference memory in mice

Abstract

Objective To investigate the effects and mechanism of adenosine A2A receptors (A2A R)on spatial memory in mice. Methods Mice with adenosine A2A receptors gene knocked out (A2A RKO, n = 13) were compared to their wild type littermates ( WT, n = 15 ). Eight-arm radial maze and Morris water maze were used to measure their spatial reference memory and spatial working memory. Results Compared to the WT littermates,A2A RKO mice displayed significantly improved working memory in both MWM and radial maze performance. However there was no significant difference in spatial reference memory in MWM test between the A2A RKO mice and WT littermate. Conclusion Genetic inactivation of A2A receptors significantly enhances spatial memory in both MWM and radial maze tests, indicating the important role of adenosine A2A receptors in learning spatial memory in mice. This enhancement of spatial memory is particularly evident for spatial working memory by A2A receptor inactivation. Key words: Adenosine A2A receptors; Gene knock out; Spatial memory; Eight-arm radial maze; Water maze