A study on neuroprotective effect of memantine in hippocampus of rats with vascular dementia / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To probe the neuroprotective effect of memantine in hippocampal CA1 region of rats with vascular dementia(VD). Methods 36 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into sham-operated group,VD group and memantine group,and each group have 12 rats. Rats of VD were treated with a permanent bilateral common carotid arteries occlusion(2-VO). Then memantine was given by intragastric administration.The behavioral abnormalities were investigated by Y-type maze test.The changes of cell morphology and the expressions of neuronal nitric oxide synthase(nNOS) and cysteine proteinase-3 (Caspase-3) of neuron in hippocampal CA1 region were detected by HE stain and immunohistochemistry respectively.The percentage of neuronal apoptosis by TUNEL. Results Compared with VD group and sham-operated group,the performance records of learning and memory(learning records63.16±1.75,79.25±2.01,50.83±1.80,F =707.91,P <0.01;memory records53.17±1.85,69.17±1.70,40.67±1.83,F =762.43,P <0.01),the expressions of nNOS (average gray scale140.23±2.30,175.87±3.34,105.63±3.52,F =1539.67,P <0.01)and Caspase-3 (average gray scale132.78±5.36,162.78±5.25,99.54±5.06,F =439.37,P <0.01)and the percentage of neuronal apoptosis (33.75±2.70,56.17±3.56,6.33±3.65,F =672.91,P <0.01)of memantine group were in the middle. Conclusion Memantine can improve spatial memory and attenuate neuronal apoptosis by down-regulation excessive expression of nNOS and Caspase-3 in rats with vascular dementia.