Cognitive Ameliorating Effect ofAcanthopanax koreanumAgainst Scopolamine-Induced Memory Impairment in Mice

Abstract

Acanthopanax koreanum Nakai (Araliaceae) is one of the most widely cultivated medicinal plants in Jeju Island, Korea, and the roots and stem bark of A. koreanum have been traditionally used as a tonic agent for general weakness. However, the use of A. koreanum for general weakness observed in the elderly, including those with declined cognitive function, has not been intensively investigated. This study was performed to investigate the effect of the ethanol extract of A. koreanum (EEAK) on cholinergic blockade-induced memory impairment in mice. To evaluate the ameliorating effects of EEAK against scopolamine-induced memory impairment, mice were orally administered EEAK (25, 50, 100, or 200 mg/kg), and several behavioral tasks, including a passive avoidance task, the Y-maze, and a novel object recognition task, were employed. Besides, western blot analysis was conducted to examine whether EEAK affected memory-associated signaling molecules, such as protein kinase B (Akt), Ca /calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII), and cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB). The administration of EEAK (100 or 200 mg/kg, p.o.) significantly ameliorated the scopolamine-induced cognitive impairment in the passive avoidance task, the Y-maze, and the novel object recognition task. The phosphorylation levels of both Akt and CaMKII were significantly increased by approximately two-fold compared with the control group because of the administration of EEAK (100 or 200 mg/kg) (p < 0.05). Moreover, the phosphorylation level of CREB was also significantly increased compared with the control group by the administration of EEAK (200 mg/kg) (p < 0.05). The present study suggests that EEAK ameliorates the cognitive dysfunction induced by the cholinergic blockade, in part, via several memory-associated signaling molecules and may hold therapeutic potential against cognitive dysfunction, such as that presented in neurodegenerative diseases, for example, Alzheimer's disease. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Systems Pharmacology Approach to Investigate the Mechanism of Kai-Xin-San in Alzheimer’s Disease

“…Rabbit anti-TNFRSF1A (1:1,000, Abcam), anti-CHRNB2 (1:1,000, Abcam), and anti-b-actin (1:10,000, Abcam) were used as the primary antibodies. Immunoblots were visualized by the ECL western blot detection kit (Millipore) and quantified by densitometry and ImageJ software (National Institutes of Health) (Lee et al, 2017).…”

Main Plant Extracts’ Active Properties Effective on Scopolamine-Induced Memory Loss

“…While cholinergic pathway modulatory properties were not explained, the considerable reported antioxidant effect was made responsible for the memory impairment reversal potential. Furthermore, Acanthopanax koreanum extract 105 and Anthriscus nemorosa essential oil 107 ameliorate the cognitive dysfunction induced by the cholinergic blockade, in a similar manner.…”

Neuroprotective effects of 20(S)‐protopanaxatriol (PPT) on scopolamine‐induced cognitive deficits in mice

“…The restoration of cholinergic function, together with the suppression of oxidative damage, is suggested to be a rational strategy for the effective treatment of AD (Ahmed & Gilani, ). Drugs such as the AChE inhibitors, including donepezil (DNP), galantamine, and rivastigmine, produce adverse effects including nausea, diarrhea, anorexia, and vomiting, which limit their use, and traditional herbal medicine may offer a source of safe and effective antiamnesic or antidementia agents (Lee et al, ).…”