Hypericum perforatum chronic treatment affects cognitive parameters and brain neurotrophic factor levels
Braz. J. Psychiatry (São Paulo, 1999, Impr.)
; 40(4): 367-375, Oct.-Dec. 2018. graf
Article
in English
| LILACS
| ID: biblio-959251
Responsible library:
BR1.1
ABSTRACT
Objective:
To evaluate the effects of Hypericum perforatum (hypericum) on cognitive behavior and neurotrophic factor levels in the brain of male and female rats.Methods:
Male and female Wistar rats were treated with hypericum or water during 28 days by gavage. The animals were then subjected to the open-field test, novel object recognition and step-down inhibitory avoidance test. Nerve growth factor (NGF), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and glial cell-line derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) levels were evaluated in the hippocampus and frontal cortex.Results:
Hypericum impaired the acquisition of short- and long-term aversive memory in male rats, evaluated in the inhibitory avoidance test. Female rats had no immediate memory acquisition and decreased short-term memory acquisition in the inhibitory avoidance test. Hypericum also decreased the recognition index of male rats in the object recognition test. Female rats did not recognize the new object in either the short-term or the long-term memory tasks. Hypericum decreased BDNF in the hippocampus of male and female rats. Hypericum also decreased NGF in the hippocampus of female rats.Conclusions:
The long-term administration of hypericum appears to cause significant cognitive impairment in rats, possibly through a reduction in the levels of neurotrophic factors. This effect was more expressive in females than in males.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
LILACS
Main subject:
Plant Extracts
/
Cognition
/
Hypericum
/
Frontal Lobe
/
Hippocampus
/
Nerve Growth Factors
Type of study:
Prognostic study
Limits:
Animals
Language:
English
Journal:
Braz. J. Psychiatry (São Paulo, 1999, Impr.)
Journal subject:
Psychiatry
Year:
2018
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Brazil
Institution/Affiliation country:
Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense (UNESC)/BR