The present study was designed to investigate cognitive enhancing property of angiotensin-converting enzymes inhibitors (ACEI) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) in rats.
Materials and Methods:

The elevated plus maze (EPM), passive avoidance test (PAT), and water maze test (WMT) were used to assess cognitive enhancing activity in young and aged rats. Ramipril (10 mg/kg, p.o.), perindopril (10 mg/kg, i.p), losartan (20 mg/kg, i.p), and valsartan (20 mg/kg, p.o) were administered to assess their effect on learning and memory. Scopolamine (1 mg/kg, i.p) was used to impair cognitive function. Piracetam (200 mg/kg, i.p) was used as reference drug.
Results:

All the treatments significantly attenuated amnesia induced by aging and scopolamine. In EPM, aged and scopolamine-treated rats showed an increase in transfer latency (TL) whereas, ACEI and ARBs showed a significant decrease in TL. Treatment with ACEI and ARBs significantly increased step down latencies and decreased latency to reach the platform in target quadrant in young, aged and scopolamine-treated animals in PAT and WMT, respectively. The treatments inhibited acetylcholinesterase (AChE) enzyme in the brain. Similarly, all the treatments attenuated scopolamine-induced lipid peroxidation and normalize antioxidant enzymes.