Neurosci Lett. 1997 Feb 28.
Effect of acetyl-L-carnitine on hyperactivity and spatial memory deficits of rats exposed to neonatal anoxia.
Dell'Anna E, Iuvone L, Calzolari S, Geloso MC.
Department of Experimental and Clinical Pathology and Medicine, University of Udine, Italy.
[ PubMed ]

Abstract: The effect of acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC) on behavioral deficits following neonatal anoxia (N2 100% for 25 min at 30 h after birth) was studied in the rat. Transient hyperactivity at P20-P45 postnatal days and permanent spatial memory deficits were shown by anoxic rats. A chronic ALC treatment (50 mg/kg per die injected intraperitoneally from P2, after anoxia, to P60) significantly reduced the transient increase in sniffing, rearing and locomotory activity of anoxic rats, but, mostly, ameliorated the spatial memory performances in a maze at P30-P40 and in a water maze at P50-P60. No behavioral changes were seen in ALC-treated animals that received sham-exposure at birth. On the basis of these results, the use of ALC for the treatment of perinatal asphyctic insults in children is suggested.