Effects of Chinese herb compound Naoyikang on expression of choline acetyltransferase in brain of rats with Alzheimer's disease / 中国中药杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effects of Naoyikang (NYK) on expression of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) in brain of rats with Alzheimer' s disease (AD).</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Bilateral infusions of Ibotenic acid (IBO) into nucleus basalis of Meynert (NBM) using hamilton syringe and stereotaxic apparatus were adopted to establish the rat model of AD. After intragastrically administrated with different solution for 28 days, immunohistochemistry and Western-blot were adopted to study the expression of ChAT in frontal cortex of AD rats.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>NYK could improve the morphology and increase the number of ChAT immunoreactive neurons, and significantly promote ChAT protein expression.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>NYK may be able to increase the synthesis of acetylcholine (ACh) through elevating the expression of ChAT protein, thus improving the level of brain ACh so as to protect central cholinergic neurons.</p>