Posttraining epinephrine and memory consolidation in rats with different basic learning capacities. The role of the stria terminalis

Rats received bilateral stria terminalis (ST) lesions or were sham-operated. Five days later, the animals were trained in a two-way active avoidance task (one session, 30 trials) and, immediately after the training session, received 0.01 mg/kg i.p. epinephrine or distilled water. Retention was tested 20 days after the acquisition session. In sham-operated groups, epinephrine improved retention in rats that were poor learners and impaired it in rats that were good learners. In poor learners with posttraining epinephrine, lesions of the ST not only blocked the facilitatory effect of epinephrine but also disrupted performance throughout the retention session. In good learners, ST lesions attenuated the disruptive effect of epinephrine. Lesions per se did not affect either acquisition or retention. We conclude that ST is involved in the modulatory effect of posttraining epinephrine on memory consolidation. In addition and considering the results observed in rats that were poor learners, we suggest that emotional factors and/or other amygdaloid pathways different from the ST could participate in the effects of posttraining epinephrine, along with the ST.