Effect of Afobazole and Betaine on Cognitive Disorders in the Offspring of Rats with Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetes and Their Relationship with DNA Damage

Abstract

Cognitive activity in 60-day-old offspring of rats (intrauterine development in experimental streptozotocin-induced diabetes) was studied on the model of food-seeking behavior under conditions of free choice in a 6-arm maze. The formation of the food-procuring skill was significantly delayed, which attests to impairment of cognitive functions in these animals. Peroral administration of afobazole (10 and 50 mg/kg) and betaine (50 and 100 mg/kg) significantly and dose-dependently alleviated this disorder. Correlation analysis of the data on delayed formation of a food-procuring skill and results of DNA comet attests to a strong relationship between DNA damage in cells of the embryo and placenta during intrauterine development and cognitive dysfunction in the postnatal offspring of animals with streptozotocin-induced diabetes.