Effect of herbal formula GAPT on cholinergic system in mice with scopolamine?induced memory impairment / 中国实验动物学报

Objective To investigate the effect of a Chinese medicine formula GAPT, a combination containing Chinese herbs ginseng,Acorus tatarinowii, Polygala and tuber curcuma, on the behavior and cholinergic system in mice with scopolamine-induced memory impairment, and to explore the neuroprotective mechanism of GAPT. Methods ICR mice were randomly divided into normal control group(solution of 0.5% carboxy methyl cellulose, CMC), model group (0.5% CMC),positive control group(donepezil, 0.92 mg/(kg·d)), GAPT high, medium and low dose groups(20 mg/(kg·d),10 mg/(kg·d),5 mg/(kg·d)),18 mice in each group, were given intragastric gavage once a day for 30 days. After the last administration,the control group and model group received intraperitoneal injection of normal saline,and the other groups intraperitoneal injection of scopolamine(3 mg/(kg·d)), dissolved in 0.9% normal saline. Morris water maze test was performed to assess the learning and memmory ability. Then the mice were killed and the Ach content and AchE and ChAT activity in the cortex and hippocampus were detected. Results GAPT increased the swimming dis-tance,swimming time and the residence time in target quadrant of the model mice,increased the content of Ach and the ac-tivity of ChAT,and decreased the activity of AchE in the brain of the model group. Conclusions GAPT can improve the learning and memory ability of mice induced by scopolamine,and its mechanism may be related to cholinergic system.

A Study on the Association Between Cholineacetyltransferase(ChAT) Polymorphism and Treatment Responses of Galantamine in Alzheimer's Disease Patients

Cholineacetyltrasnferase (ChAT) is a key enzyme that facilitates synthesis of acetylcholine affecting the memory, learning, awakening and sleep process of the cerebrum. The object of this study was to test the hypothesis that the ChAT-gene 2384G>A (rs3810950) polymorphism is associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) susceptibility, and galantamine response. To elucidate a genetic predisposition of AD, we studied ChAT-gene 2384G>A (rs3810950) polymorphism in 52 AD patients in 93 normal controls. We also examined the association of this polymorphism and galantamine therapeutic response in 52 AD patients who received a 24-week galantamine treatment. There were no significant differences in the genotype or allele frequency of the ChAT polymorphism between the AD and control groups. However, we found that the allele-carrier distributions, allele frequency for the ChAT polymorphism differed significantly between responders and non-responders. The frequency of A-allele carriers (GA+AA) was higher in responders than in non-responders (chi-square=4.282, df=1, p=0.039), as was the A-allele frequency (chi-square=5.216, df=1, p=0.022). These results suggest that the ChAT-gene 2384G>A (rs3810950) polymorphism is associated with galantamine therapeutic response.

Effect of Age on Activity of Choline Enzyme in Cerebral Cholinergic Nerve System of Rat / 医学研究杂志

Objective To investigate the effect of age on activity of cholineacetyltransferase(ChAT) and acetylcholinesterase(AChE) in cerebral cholinergic nerve system of rat.Method According to age,male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into the following 3 groups at random: 4～5 weeks old group,4～5 months old group,14～15 months old group(n=10,respectively).Chromatometry was used to assay the activity of ChAT and AChE in cerebral cortex,hippocampus and corpus striatum.Results In 14～15 months old rats,activity of ChAT and AChE in cerebral cortex,hippocampus and corpus striatum was prominantly reduced,as compared with that in 4～5 months old rats and in 4～5 weeks old rats(ChAT: P0.05).Conclusion There is a negative correlation between age and activity of ChAT and AChE in cerebral cholinergic nerve system.

Effects of hyperbaric oxygen on choline acetyltransferase in neurons after traumatic brain injury / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

Objective To observe the effect of hyperbaric oxygen on choline acetyltransferase ChAT levels in the neurons of rats with traumatic brain injury. Methods Traumatic brain injuries were modeled in rats using Feeney's method. Thirty male rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: a traumatic brain injury group (group A) , a traumatic brain injury plus hyperbaric oxygen ( HBO) group ( group B) , and a sham operation group (group C). Samples of each rat's brain were tested for ChAT using immunohistochemical staining and light microscopy. Results ChAT-positive fibers in the hippocampus almost vanished after traumatic brain injury, but positive fibers were markedly increased after HBO treatment. Conclusion HBO treatment can activate neurons in the hippocampus and inhibit regression of cholinergic neurons, which may be one of the mechanisms by which HBO therapy improves learning ability in injured rats.

DISTRIBUTION OF CHOLINERGIC NEURONS AND FIBERS IN THE HYPOTHALAMUS OF THE CAT / 解剖学报

The cholinergic neurons and fibers of the hypothalamus could not be revealedsuccessfully in the past,therefore,there has been general agreement that the hypotha-lamus is very poorly innervated by cholinergic system.In this study,choline acetyl-trans ferase (ChAT)-like immunoreactive positive neurons and fibers of the hypo-thalamus were revealed successfully by using avidin-biotin immunocytochemical me-thod.This study demonstrated for the first time that the cat hypothalamus is richlyinnervated by cholinergic system.We found cholinergic neurons of varying numbersin the following areas:dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus,paraventricular nucleus,dorsal hypothalamic area,the area of the tuber cinereum surrounding ventromedialhypothalamic nucleus,lateral hypothalamic area,anterior hypothalamic area,anteriorhypothalamic nucleus,parvocellular hypothalamic nucleus,tuber-mammillary nucl-eus,posterior hypothalamic area,anterior mammillary nucleus and supramammillarynucleus.There were a lot of ChAT-like positive fibers in the lateral hypothalamicarea,mammillary area,dorsal hypothalamic area,paraventricular nucleus,parvocel-lular hypothalamic nucleus,the area of the tuber cinereum.Three kinds of neuronperikarya related to cholinergic system were identified in the hypothalamus of thecat:1.cholinergic perikarya;2.noncholinergic-cholinoceptive perikarya;3.choli-nergic-cholinoceptive perikarya.There were also immunoreactive positive fiberswhich were non-varicose and varicose.Two kinds of varicose-fibers,one withstrong immunoreactivity and the other with weak immunoreactivity were distingui-shed.