Enhanced inhibitory avoidance training protects against the amnesic effect of p-chloroamphetamine

The contribution of acetylcholine (ACh) to memory processing is well documented, but it has been proposed that it is not necessary for memory consolidation after an enhanced learning experience. It has been suggested that serotonin (5-HT) interacts with ACh during memory consolidation, although the nature of this interaction is unknown in the case of strong learning. As an initial approach to the study of these interactions, we determined whether training of inhibitory avoidance using relatively high aversive stimulation protects against the typical retention deficits produced by pre-training administration of the 5-HT releaser p-chloroamphetamine (PCA). Rats were trained after intraperitoneal administration of PCA or isotonic saline, using 2.0, 2.5, 3.0 or 3.5 mA and retention of the task was measured 24 h later. A significant amnesic state was observed only in the PCA groups that had been trained with the two lower intensities. These results indicate that 5-HT systems behave similarly to ACh systems, in the sense that the amnesic effect produced by interference with their physiological activity may be cancelled when animals are submitted to an intense learning situation.