The influence of duration of protein synthesis inhibition on memory

Anisomycin and cycloheximide were compared as inhibitors of cerebral protein synthesis and as amnestic agents in mice. Anisomycin is an effective, nontoxic inhibitor of cerebral protein synthesis. Cycloheximide, while also an effective inhibitor of cerebral protein synthesis, is far more toxic. Successive injections of anisomycin permit variation of duration of inhibition from 2–8 hr. With C57B1/Jf mice trained in passive avoidance, the longer the inhibition, the greater the percentage of amnestic subjects. The greater the training strength, the less the amnesia. Evidence indicates that cycloheximide impairs acquisition.