Pro-cognitive efficacy of Prospekta in a rat model of age-associated cognitive impairment.

BACKGROUND: Ageing is associated with lower levels of cognitive performance, and novel therapeutics are warranted to correct this defect. Aged rats represent a favourable model of human ageing. The aim of the present study is to examine the effect of a novel neurotropic S100B-targeted drug, Prospekta, on the parameters of delayed alternation in the aged rats compared to responses in the young animals. METHODS: A spatial working memory task in an operant chamber, where aged and young animals (21 and 2 months old, respectively) needed to alternate between two retractable levers on a trial-by-trial basis to receive a food reward, was tested. We also assessed the Prospekta's effect on expression of some biomarkers of ageing by measuring their levels in the brains of aged rats using Western blot. RESULTS: Treatment with Prospekta ameliorated cognitive functions, which resulted in a significant reduction of simple and choice reaction times for aged rats. The drug also decreased the number of omission errors at the beginning of the acquisition phase, which indicated the influence of treatment on attention and decision-making process. At the same time, Prospekta did not affect the majority of parameters measured in young animals. The analysis of ageing biomarker expression did not reveal any significant differences between aged rats treated with Prospekta or placebo. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study underscore the potential of Prospekta as a promising pro-cognitive agent for the treatment of age-related cognitive decline. However, further research is imperative to elucidate the precise mechanisms underlying its therapeutic effects and validate its efficacy in vivo. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.