Effect of early and late pharmacological correction with GABA derivatives on cognitive disorders in offspring of rats with experimental preeclampsia

BACKGROUND: Preeclampsia is a serious complication of pregnancy which augments the risk of cognitive disorders in the offspring at different stages of life. Presently, there are no methods with proven effectiveness for correction of post-hypoxic disorders in children of mothers with preeclampsia. AIM: To assess the cognitive functions of the offspring of rats with experimental preeclampsia (EP) through early (40th to 70th day of life) and late (24th to 25th month of life) pharmacological correction with gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) derivatives: Succicard, Salifen, Phenibut, and the drug of comparison–Pantogam. MATERIALS AND METHODS: EP was modeled by replacing drinking water with 1.8% sodium chloride solution in rats from the first day of pregnancy to delivery. In the offspring, short-term and long-term memory was studied at the age of 3–4, 18–19, and 25–26 months in the Novel object recognition test and Barnes Maze test. The functioning of the GABAergic and dopaminergic systems (which play an essential role in the development of memory) was evaluated by cases of convulsions after administering corazol at a dose of 20 mg/kg intraperitoneally (model of corazol kindling) and by haloperidol-induced catalepsy (haloperidol at a dose of 0.3 mg/kg intraperitoneally), respectively. RESULTS: Early and late pharmacological correction with GABA derivatives–succicard, Salifen, Phenibut, and comparison drug, Pantogam–neutralized the negative effect of EP on the function of GABAergic and dopaminergic systems in the offspring of the experimental groups. Therapy with Succicard in puberty and long-term periods of life contributed to the improvement of short-term and long-term memory in the offspring of rats with EP. Thus, it could be reasonable enough to develop a drug against cognitive disorders in children of mothers with preeclampsia. CONCLUSION: In the offspring of rats with EP, short-term and long-term disorders of memory in the functioning of the GABAergic and dopaminergic systems were noted in the early and late stages of the individual development. Pharmacological correction with GABA derivatives improves cognitive processes and the functioning of neurotransmitter systems in the offspring of rats with complicated pregnancy. The highest effectiveness was demonstrated by succicard, and was comparable with or superior to the Pantogam (standard drug).