Effects of adenosine receptor agonists and antagonists on pentylenetetrazole-induced amnesia.

The effect of adenosine agents on amnesia induced by pentylenetetrazole was examined in mice. Post-training administration of pentylenetetrazole (50 and 60 mg/kg) disrupted 24-h retention of a single-trial passive avoidance task. The adenosine receptor antagonists, theophylline (2.5-25 mg/kg) and 8-phenyltheophylline (0.5-2 mg/kg), administered 30 min before and just after training at doses which did not affect retention, reduced the amnestic effect of pentylenetetrazole in a dose-dependent manner. Post-training administration of the adenosine A(1) receptor agonists, N(6)-cyclohexyladenosine (CHA, 0.1 and 0.5 mg/kg) and N(6)-phenylisopropyladenosine (R-PIA, 0.03 and 0.1 mg/kg), but not the adenosine A(2) receptor agonist, 5'-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine (NECA, 0.01 and 0.001 mg/kg), impaired retention. Nonamnestic doses of CHA and R-PIA potentiated the disruption induced by a lower dose of pentylenetetrazole (40 mg/kg). NECA did not induce any response in this respect. It is suggested that an adenosine A(1) receptor mechanism is involved in amnesia induced by pentylenetetrazole.