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The involvement of the polyamines binding sites at the NMDA receptor in creatine-induced spatial learning enhancement.

Oliveira MS, Furian AF, Fighera MR, Fiorenza NG, Ferreira J, Rubin MA, Mello CF, Royes LF

Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas, Bioquímica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, 90035-003 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.

Achievements made over the last years have highlighted the important role of creatine in health and disease. However, studies of its effect on cognition function have been limited. In the present study, we investigated the effect of creatine on early consolidation of the spatial learning in rats. Statistical analysis showed that intrahippocampal administration of creatine (2.5 and 7.5 nmol/hippocampus) (post-training) decreased the latency for scape and mean number of errors in Barnes maze test. The involvement of polyamine binding site at NMDA receptor in creatine-induced spatial learning enhancement was investigated by co-administration of arcaine (0.02 nmol/hippocampus) or spermidine (0.02 nmol/hippocampus) with creatine (2.5 nmol/hippocampus) (post-training). Statistical analysis revealed that creatine-induced spatial learning enhancement was reverted by co-administration of arcaine (0.02 nmol/hippocampus) and intensified by spermidine (0.02 nmol/hippocampus). These results provide evidence that creatine not only seem to be involved in energy metabolism but may also play an important role in early consolidation of spatial learning in hippocampus which participation of polyamines binding site at the NMDA receptor.

Published 11 December 2007 in Behav Brain Res, 187(1): 200-4.
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