Effects of Chronic 5-Bromo-2-Deoxyuridine Adminidtration on Spatial Memory in the Adult Rats

5-Bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU) has been a principal marker for mitotic cells in studies of adult neurogenesis. The method consists of a pulse injection of BrdU into the intraperitoneal cavity followed by a variable survival time allowing for tracking the divided cells and their progeny. However, such exogenous markers may produce toxic effects. Aim of this study was determined the effects of Brdu on spatial memory in the adult rat. 16 Wistar rats were used in this experimental study. The rats were randomly divided into 2 groups (N=8 in each group), as follows: control and Brdu (50 mg/kg). Brdu was administered intraperitoneally for 6 weeks and then animals were used for behavioral testing in the Morris water maze. The data were analyzed with repeated measure’s ANOVA. Our present findings show that there were no differences in the path length, escape latency and swim speed between control and Brdu-administrated groups. This study show that Brdu (exogenic proliferation marker) did not has side effects on spatial memory in the adult rats.