Desferoxamine reverses neonatal iron-induced recognition memory impairment in rats.

We have previously demonstrated that rats given iron neonatally presented memory deficits. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of desferoxamine, a metal chelating agent, on memory deficits in an iron overload model in rats. Male rats received vehicle or iron orally at postnatal days 12-14 and desferoxamine (30 or 300 mg/kg) in the adulthood. After desferoxamine treatment, they were trained in a novel-object recognition task. Iron-treated rats showed recognition memory impairments when compared to controls. Iron-treated rats that received desferoxamine 300 mg/kg, showed normal recognition memory, suggesting that desferoxamine can reverse recognition memory deficits associated with iron accumulation. Further research is required to examine whether the findings from animal models of iron overload have implications for humans.