Effect of echinacoside on learning-memory ability and oxygen free radicals on model rats with Alzheimer's disease / 中国药理学通报

ABSTRACT

Aim To investigate the effects of echina-coside ( ECH ) on the learning and memory capacities and brain level of oxygen free radicals of rats with de-mentia induced by amyloid β-peptide. Methods Six-ty Sprague Dawley rats, weighing (300±10) g, were randomly divided with 10 rats pergroup into 6 groupssham operated group, model, ECH high dose (40 mg ·kg-1·d-1), ECH middle dose (20 mg· kg-1· d-1), ECH low dose (10 mg·kg-1·d-1) and Hup A (Huperzine A, 0. 02 mg·kg-1·d-1) group. Mor-ris maze tests were conducted for evaluating the learn-ing and memory ability. Content of malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO) and activities of superox-ide dismutase ( SOD) and NO synthase ( NOS) in the hippocampus and cortex were detected. ResultsAβ25-35 induced significant learning and memory im-pairment in the rats. Compared with the rats in model group, those treated with ECH at different doses all manifested alleviation of learning and memory impair-ment ( P<0 . 01 , P<0 . 05 ) . Cotents of MDA of ECH treatment group were obviously decreased, while SOD activities were obviously increased, and significantly reduced the release of NO and NOS in the hippocam-pus and cortex brain tissue ( P <0 . 01 , P <0.05 ) . Conclusion ECH can enhance the learning and mem-ory ability in rats with AD, which is presumably relat-ed to accelerating the cleaning of oxygen free radicals and reducing oxidative stress in brain of AD rats.