Experimental techniques for developing new drugs acting on dementia. (6) Carbon monoxide-induced amnesia model in experimental animals

Cell death, neuronal dysfunction and deterioration of memory function can be produced after carbon monoxide exposure in mice as in human. These deficiencies are developed in a delayed manner (delayed amnesia). The neurotoxicity of excitatory amino acids may be involved in this model, since dizocilpine (MK-801) fully protects against carbon monoxide-induced cell death, learning impairment and delayed amnesia. In the present paper, we described the method of carbon monoxide exposure and the characteristic of behavioral and biochemical changes after carbon monoxide exposure. These data indicate that carbon monoxide can provide an amnesic model for the investigation of memory deterioration and the development of new anti-amnesic drugs.