Nicotine improves ethanol-induced memory impairment: The role of dorsal hippocampal NMDA receptors

Abstract Aims The current study was undertaken to determine the role of dorsal hippocampal N-methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA) receptors in nicotine's effect on impairment of memory by ethanol. Main methods Adult male mice were cannulated in the CA1 regions of dorsal hippocampi and trained on a passive avoidance learning task for memory assessment. Key findings We found that pre-training intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of ethanol (0.5 and 1 g/kg) decreased memory retrieval when tested 24 h later. Pre-test administration of ethanol reversed the decrease in inhibitory avoidance response induced by pre-training ethanol. Similar to ethanol, pre-test administration of nicotine (0.125–0.75 mg/kg, s.c.) prevented impairment of memory by pre-training ethanol. In the animals that received ethanol (1 g/kg, i.p) before training and tested following intra-CA1 administration of different doses of NMDA (0.0005–0.005 µg/mouse), no significant change was observed in the retrieval latencies. Co-administration of the same doses of NMDA with an ineffective dose of nicotine (0.125 mg/kg, s.c.) significantly improved the memory retrieval and mimicked the effects of pre-test administration of a higher dose of nicotine. Pre-test intra-CA1 microinjection of MK-801 (0.25–1 µg/mouse), which had no effect alone, in combination with an effective dose of nicotine (0.75 mg/kg, s.c.) prevented the improving effect of nicotine on memory impaired by pre-training ethanol. Moreover, intra-CA1 microinjection of MK-801 reversed the NMDA-induced potentiation of the nicotine response. Significance The results suggest the importance of NMDA glutamate system(s) in the CA1 regions of dorsal hippocampus for improving the effect of nicotine on the ethanol-induced amnesia.