Pharmacological characterization of a novel putative nootropic beta-alanine derivative, MB-005, in adult zebrafish

T.O. Kolesnikova, D.S. Galstyan, K.A. Demin, M.A. Barabanov, A.V. Pestov, M.S. de Abreu*, T. Strekalova, A.V. Kalueff*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Background: Cognitive deficits represent an urgent biomedical problem, and are commonly reduced by nootropic drugs. Animal models, including both rodents and zebrafish, offer a valuable tool for studying cognitive phenotypes and screening novel nootropics. Beta-alanine and its derivatives have recently been proposed to exert nootropic activity.Aims: This study aimed to characterize putative nootropic profile of a novel beta-alanine analogue, 1,3-diaminopropane (MB-005), in adult zebrafish.Methods: Nootropic profile of MB-005 was assessed in adult zebrafish in the novel tank and conditioned place aversion (CPA) tests acutely, and in cued-learning plus-maze (PMT) tests chronically.Results/Outcomes: MB-005 did not atter zebrafish anxiety-like behavior or monoamine neurochemistry acutely, improved short-term memory in the CPA test, but impaired cognitive performance in both CPA and PMT tests chronically.Conclusions/Interpretation: This study reveals high sensitivity of zebrafish cognitive phenotypes to MB-005, suggesting it as a potential novel cognitive enhancer acutely, but raises concerns over its cognitive (and, possibly, other) side-effects chronically.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)892-902
Number of pages11
JournalJournal of Psychopharmacology
Volume36
Issue number7
Early online date17 Jun 2022
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jul 2022

Keywords

  • Nootropics
  • zebrafish
  • memory
  • piracetam
  • beta-alanine
  • INDUCED MEMORY IMPAIRMENT
  • COGNITIVE DEFICITS
  • GABA(C) RECEPTORS
  • PIRACETAM
  • DRUGS
  • MODELS
  • BENZODIAZEPINES
  • EFFICACY
  • SUPPLEMENTATION
  • PERFORMANCE

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