ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE@#To explore the effect of Naoxintong capsules on learning and dysmnesia and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) about vascular dementia (VD) in rats.@*METHODS@#The model of vascular dementia rats were built by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), and then the rats were randomly divided into a Naoxintong group (that was traditional Chinese medicine group,TCM group), a Western medicine group, a model group, a sham operation group, and a normal group. After corresponding treatment, the rat so behaviors were detected by Morris water maze experiment to obtain their performance record of learning and memory. The changes of cell morphology were detected by Nissl stain. The expression of CGRP in the hippocampus was measured with immunohistochemical staining.@*RESULTS@#The masculine cells about CGRP of the TCM group were more than those of the model one (P<0.05). Naoxintong capsules improved the ability of learning and memory in vascular dementia rats, prevented the pyramidal cells on CA1 field in hippocampus from decreasing, increased the number of masculine cells about CGRP, and deceased the gray scale value.@*CONCLUSION@#Naoxintong capsules can raise the number of masculine nerve cells of CGRP, protect the pyramidal cells of VD rats, and lessen their learning and dysmnesia, which may be part of the mechanism of improving learning and memory capacity of VD model in rats.