Effect of OM-853, a cerebral metabolic ameliorator, on ambulatory activity and passive and active avoidance responses in mice and Mongolian gerbils.

Behavioral effects of OM-853 were investigated in both mice and Mongolian gerbils. In mice, OM-853 alone produced no marked change in the ambulatory activity, although it tended to lower it at 100 mg/kg, and this drug (5-100 mg/kg, p.o.) reduced the ambulation-increasing effect of scopolamine (0.5 mg/kg, s.c.) in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, OM-853 (50 and 100 mg/kg, p.o.) prolonged the latency times shortened by scopolamine under the passive avoidance. On the other hand, in the discrete avoidance situation, OM-853 facilitated the acquisition of shuttle avoidance at 10 and 25 mg/kg, p.o. and lever-press avoidance at 25 and 50 mg/kg, p.o. in the pre-training administration schedule, and the former at 25-100 mg/kg, p.o. and the latter at 10 and 25 mg/kg, p.o. in the post-training administration schedule. In gerbils, OM-853 (50 mg/kg, i.p.) ameliorated the learning deficit of the lever-press avoidance response induced by forebrain ischemia. The present results suggest that OM-853 has beneficial actions on some types of learning and memory in normal, scopolamine-treated and ischemic animals. The possible mechanisms involved are discussed.