EFFECTS OF 5-HT AGONIST ELETRIPTAN ON PASSIVE AVOIDANCE AND LOCOMOTOR ACTIVITY

Purpose: Serotonin (5-HT) as neurotransmitter controls the appetite, sleep, learning and memory, endocrine regulation and depression. Eletriptan is a second-generation triptan and potent 5-HT agonist. Methods: Male Wistar rats were treated with: 1 st group saline; 2 nd and 3 rd group eletriptan 0.1mg/kg and 0.5 mg/kg respectively. Step-through and step-down passive avoidance tests were used 2 days learning, short and long memory retention sessions. Criterion of up to 3 min staying in light compartment for step-through and up to 60 seconds on the platform for step-down was observed. Locomotor activity was measured as horizontal and vertical movements in activity cage for 5 minutes. The statistic evaluation was done by ANOVA. Results: On step-through test the low dose group showed significant decrease on 2 nd day of learning session and on memory retention test compared to the controls. On step-down test rats with eletriptan in both doses significantly decreased the latency time. Rats treated with eletriptan in both doses increased significantly vertical activity and slightly the horizontal. Conclusion: Our data permit the suggestion that 5-HT agonist eletriptan influenced the learning and long memory retention in step-through and in step-down passive avoidance. Eletriptan stimulates predominant the vertical locomotor activity.