EFFECT OF ORG2766, AN ACTH(4-9) ANALOG, ON RECOVERY AFTER BILATERAL TRANSECTION OF THE FIMBRIA FORNIX IN THE RAT

Facilitation of recovery after peripheral or central damage of the nervous system induced by neuropeptides was recently extensively reported. In a previous study we reported that Org2766, an ACTH(4-9) analogue, enhances recovery as assessed in a spatial orientation task after unilateral transection of the fimbria fornix in the rat. It was suggested that cross-lateral compensation by the intact fimbria fornix hippocampal system could account for the peptide-induced recovery. Therefore, the facilitatory effect of this neuropeptide was investigated in the present study after bilateral transection of the fimbria fornix. The present results indicate that Org2766 also attenuated the behavioral deficit of bilaterally transected animals in a spatial learning task, but does not affect behaviour of the lesioned animals in a passive avoidance test.