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Mitochondria-Targeted Plastoquinone Antioxidant SkQR1 Has Positive Effect on Memory of Rats


E. V. Stelmashook1,2, A. V. Stavrovskaya1, N. G. Yamshchikova1, A. S. Ol’shanskii1, N. A. Kapay1,2, O. V. Popova1,2, L. G. Khaspekov1, V. G. Skrebitsky1, and N. K. Isaev1,2,3*

1Research Center of Neurology, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Volokolamskoe Shosse 80, 125367 Moscow, Russia; E-mail: estelmash@mail.ru

2Lomonosov Moscow State University, Institute of Mitoengineering, 119991 Moscow, Russia; E-mail: info@skq-project.ru

3Lomonosov Moscow State University, Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, 119991 Moscow, Russia; fax: +7 (495) 939-3161; E-mail: isaev@genebee.msu.ru

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received November 25, 2014
A single intraperitoneal injection to rats of the mitochondria-targeted plastoquinone antioxidant SkQR1 at dose 1 µmol/kg significantly improved reproduction by the rats of the passive avoidance conditional reflex. In vitro experiments on hippocampal slices showed that a single intraperitoneal injection of SkQR1 24 h before the preparation of the slice significantly increases the synaptic transmission efficiency of the pyramidal neurons of the CA1 field. The findings indicate that SkQR1 has a positive effect on memory processes.
KEY WORDS: memory, long-term potentiation, hippocampus, mitochondria-targeted antioxidants, SkQR1

DOI: 10.1134/S0006297915050119