Characteristics of memory dysfunction in olfactory bulbectomized rats and the effects of cholinergic drugs

The memory impairment of olfactory bulbs (OB)-lesioned rats was characterized using 4 different tasks of learning/memory, and the effects of certain cholinergic drugs on such memory impairment were examined. In reference memory and working memory tasks using a 3-panel runway apparatus, OB-lesioned rats showed a marked increase in errors. In the 3-lever operant task using delayed matching to a sample (DMTS) procedure, OB lesions significantly decreased the correct response in choice (test) trials without affecting the in sample (training) trials. An interesting finding is that impairment in the DMTS performance did not appear immediately after the OB lesion, but tended to appear after a delay. Based on this finding, it is unlikely that memory impairment in the OB-lesioned rats is due to the olfactory deficit itself. However, OB lesions significantly reduced the choice accuracy and delayed the choice reaction time during the 3-choice serial time task for assessing attentional function, using a 3-lever operant apparatus. These findings suggest that marked impairment of learning and memory in OB-lesioned rats may be caused by the attention deficit. Furthermore, the memory impairment in OB-lesioned rats was reduced by cholinesterase inhibitors, physostigmine and NIK-247. These finding suggest that dysfunction of the cholinergic system is involved, at least in part, in the memory impairment of OB-lesioned rats.