Effect of Calcium Pantothenate on Physical Fatigue and Cognitive Dysfunction in Mice

Abstract

The present study investigated whether calcium pantothenate has an anti-fatigue effect and/or is able to ameliorate cognitive deficit in mice. At 1.5 or 3 h after forced walking, mice were assessed for behavioral specificity, locomotor activity and swimming behavior in a forced swimming test, with or without administration of calcium pantothenate. We also examined the effect of calcium pantothenate on scopolamine-induced cognitive deficit using a Y-maze and passive avoidance task. Calcium pantothenate (administered orally at 300 or 600 mg/kg) significantly ameliorated the reduction of locomotor activity and swimming behavior after forced walking for 3 h. Mice that were not administered calcium pantothenate showed a significant reduction of locomotor activity relative to the treated group. However, acute or chronic administration of calcium pantothenate did not ameliorate the cognitive deficit induced by scopolamine in the Y-maze and passive avoidance tests. These results may have important implications in relation to prevention of physical fatigue using calcium pantothenate as a supplement.