Abstract
Background and Objective: Ciprofloxacin is an antibiotic that is widely used to treat bacterial infections, but it is known to cause side-effects, including cognitive impairment. However, the associated mechanisms are still elusive. The objective of the present study was to examine the effect of ciprofloxacin on cognitive impairment using a mouse model. Material and Methods: Male mice (weight = 18-30 g) were divided into control and treatment groups (n = 8/group). The mice in the treatment group were administered 15 mg mL(-1) of ciprofloxacin orally through their drinking water for 7 days. The dosage was comparable with that of the recommended clinical dosage for patients with bacterial infections. The memory of the mice was tested using 3 hippocampal-dependent tests: the Y-maze, novel object recognition (NOR) and the elevated plus maze (EPM) test. These tests were performed for 3 days, starting from day 4, during the 7 day treatment. Results: The mice treated with ciprofloxacin exhibited a decline in memory function in both the Y-maze and EPM tests. However, the decline was statistically significant (p <= 0.05) only in the EPM test. The results of the NOR test showed no difference between the control and ciprofloxacin-treated mice. Conclusion: The present study indicated that ciprofloxacin administration causes a decline in the memory function of mice, as measured by the EPM test. Further research is needed to characterize the pathway of memory impairment and the potential mechanisms underlying the cognitive deficits.