Fullerene C60 complexed with poly(N-vinyl-pyrrolidone) prevents the disturbance of long-term memory consolidation

A microinjection of C₆₀/poly-(N-vinyl-pyrrolidone) (C₆₀/PVP) adduct into the dorsal hippocampus is shown to prevent the disturbance of spatial memory consolidation induced by the administration of a high dose of cycloheximide, which inhibits protein synthesis in the central nervous system by more than 90%. It is supposed that microinjections of the C₆₀/PVP adduct into the hippocampus suppress the death of its neurons, which may be one of the essential factors that prevent the disturbance of long-term memory consolidation by protein-synthesis inhibition. Other mechanisms of the fullerene action are also possible; however, they remain as yet unknown.