ABSTRACT
@#Background: Auraptene is a simple coumarin that exhibits multiple protective activities in the brain. Alzheimer’s disease is a complex, multifactorial, and progressive neurodegenerative disease. Microinjection of the β-amyloid peptide (Aβ) into the hippocampus of rat has been recognized as a reliable and stable animal model of Alzheimer’s disease, which mimics the memory deficits. In the present study, the memory enhancing effects of auraptene were studied in rats that Aβ was injected into their hippocampus to create a model of Alzheimer’s disease. Methods: Different doses of auraptene (5, 10 and 25 mg/kg) were administered intraperitoneally to male Wistar rats. The spatial memory performance was tested by Morris water maze after Alzheimer`s induction. The hippocampal expression of pro-apoptotic Bax and anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 proteins were calculated for evaluating the neuroprotective and anti-apoptotic effects of Auraptene in the brain tissue. Results: In comparison with the control group, auraptene significantly decreased the escape latency time in the treated rats. In addition, auraptene increased the percentage of time spent and traveled pathway in the target quadrant. Molecular data showed that auraptene attenuated the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio in the hippocampus of rats. Conclusion: This study demonstrated the memory enhancing effect of Aur after Aβ injection, which could be through inhibiting the apoptotic pathways in the hippocampus of rats.
ABSTRACT
Objective: We examined the protective effects of ethanolic extract of Lippia citriodora [L. citriodora] on rats subjected to chronic constriction injury [CCI] of sciatic nerve and possible mechanisms of actions
Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, the extract was administered 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg, Intraperitoneally [I.P] from the surgery time for 14 consecutive days. The changes in the spinal cord levels of apoptotic factors, microglia and astroglia markers during the time course of study were assessed by western blotting on days 3, 7 and 14 post-CCI
Results: CCI rats developed neuropathy evident from a marked mechanical allodynia, cold allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia on days 3, 5, 7, 10 and 14 post-CCI. A significant increase in the levels of Iba [a marker of microglia activation] and Bax [a proapoptotic factor] was observed three days after nerve injury. The levels of Iba remained high on day 7. In contrast, there was no difference in glial fibrillary acidic protein [GFAP] contents between sham and CCI animals. Treatment with the extract significantly attenuated behavioral changes associated with neuropathy. Bax/Bcl-2 and Iba1 were decreased in CCI animals treated with the extract
Conclusion: The results support the evidence that microglial activation and apoptosis are correlated with pain behaviors. It is suggested that anti-allodynic and anti-hyperalgesic effects, elicited by L. citriodora, might have some degrees of association with the inhibition of microglia activation and apoptotic pathways
ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-nociceptive effects of a low, sub-effective dose of amitriptyline, in combination with the different doses of ethanolic and aqueous extracts of Crocus sativus following sciatic nerve chronic constriction injury [CCI] in rats. Amitriptyline [3, 10 and 30 mg/Kg, i.p.] and the extracts [25, 50 and 100 mg/Kg, i.p.], were separately administered at the time of CCI for 7 consecutive days. In combination therapy, the sub-antinociceptive dose of amitriptyline [3 mg/Kg] was given with the three different doses of extracts for seven days. Mechanical allodynia, thermal allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia were evaluated by von Frey, acetone and radiant heat tests, respectively, 1 day before and on days 3, 5 and 7 after surgery. Co-administration of amitriptyline [3 mg/Kg] with aqueous extract [50, 100 mg/Kg,] produced more potent cold anti-allodynic [P < 0.01 and P < 0.001, respectively] as well as thermal anti-hyperalgesic [P < 0.05] effects than that produced by each of them. Amitriptyline [3 mg/Kg] plus ethanolic extract [50, 100 mg/Kg] produced more potent cold anti-allodynic [P < 0.05 and P < 0.001, respectively] as well as thermal anti-hyperalgesic [P < 0.05] effects as compared with the sum effects produced by each of them. Mechanical anti-allodynia effect was only potentiated with the co-administration of amitriptyline with the high dose of aqueous extract [100 mg/Kg, P < 0.001]. Our study supports the use of saffron as an adjunctive to amitriptyline to improve the therapeutic outcome in the management of neuropathic pain