Effect of tricyanoaminopropene on the amnesic effect of electroconvulsive shock.

Abstract

Mice were pretreated with either tricyanoaminopropene or saline for 3 days prior to being given a single conditioning trial to establish a passive avoidance response. The training trial was followed by a single electroconvulsive shock. When tested for retention of the conditioned response 24 hrs following training, a characteristic retrograde amnesia was demonstrated in control animals, whereas experimental mice showed a significantly high degree of retention. Analysis of brain tissue from various sites, in mice treated under comparable conditions, indicated a significant elevation of levels of ribonucleic acid in the drug-treated animals, as compared with controls. The effect of ECS on RNA concentration was seen generally as a reduction, and specifically as a reduction in the magnitude of RNA concentration differences above base levels observed in non-convulsed animals. The data suggest that an acceleration of RNA synthesis with TCAP serves to facilitate memory trace formation.