Neuroprotective Effect of Palmul-Chongmyeong-Tang on Ischemia-Induced Learning and Memory Deficits in the Rat

Abstract

Ginseng Radix, Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma, Poria, Glycyrrhizae Radix, Angelicae Gigantis Radix, Ligusticum Rhizoma, Rehmanniae Radix, Paeoniae Radix, Acori Graminei Rhizoma, and Polygalae Radix have been widely used as herbal medicine against ischemia. In order to test the neuroprotective effect of a novel prescription, the present study examined the effects of Palmul-Chongmyeong-Tang (PMCMT) consisting of these ten herbs on learning and memory in the Morris water maze task and the central cholinergic system of rats with cerebral ischemia-induced neuronal and cognitive impairments. After middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) for 2 h, rats were administered with saline or PMCMT (200 mg/kg, p.o.) daily for 2 weeks, followed by their training to the tasks. In the water maze test, the animals were trained to find a platform in a fixed position during 6 d and then received a 60 s probe trial on the 7th day following removal of the platform from the pool. Rats with ischemic insults showed impaired learning and memory of the tasks and treatment with PMCMT produced a significant improvement in escape latency to find the platform in the Morris water maze. Consistent with behavioral data, treatment with PMCMT also reduced the loss of cholinergic immunoreactivity in the hippocampus induced by cerebral ischemia. These results demonstrated that PMCMT has a protective effect against ischemia-induced neuronal and cognitive impairments. The present study suggested that PMCMT might be useful in the treatment of vascular dementia.

Watermaze Performance after Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion in the Rat: The Role of Sensorimotor versus Memory Impairments

“…Consistent with previous studies, MCAO resulted in an increased escape latency and path length relative to sham and unoperated animals in a watermaze spatial reference-memory task (Markgraf et al, 1992;Pavlichenko et al, 2008;Sadamoto et al, 1998;Shinoda et al, 1996;Smith et al, 1997;Wang et al, 2010;Xu et al, 2009;Yonemori et al, 1996;Yun et al, 2007;Zhang et al, 2010). However, from close scrutiny of the behavior of MCAO animals in the watermaze, the present study indicates that maintained focal ischemia within the MCA territory has little effect on the acquisition and retention of spatial reference memory.…”

“…A number of watermaze studies have been performed to determine the effect of MCAO on learning and memory deficits using either the Tamura model of permanent MCAO by electrocoagulation (e.g., Markgraf et al, 1992;Pavlichenko et al, 2008;Sadamoto et al, 1998;Shinoda et al, 1996;Smith et al, 1997;Yonemori et al, 1996) or the intraluminal thread model (e.g., Hayase et al, 2009;Kawanishi et al, 2010;Noh et al, 2011;Xu et al, 2009;Yun et al, 2007). It is important to note that with intraluminal thread models, particularly in mice, filament insertion can lead to loss of blood supply to the hippocampus (McColl et al, 2004), therefore although intraluminal thread is used as a model of MCAO, it is in fact capable of producing more widespread ischemia affecting other major blood vessel territories.…”

“…Understanding these functional deficits is essential for development of future therapies. Many experimental studies have used watermaze tasks to better understand spatial learning and memory deficits after MCA occlusion (MCAO) and to assess potential future therapies (Hayase et al, 2009;Kawanishi et al, 2010;Markgraf et al, 1992;Noh et al, 2011;Pavlichenko et al, 2008;Sadamoto et al, 1998;Shinoda et al, 1996;Smith et al, 1997;Wang et al, 2010;Xu et al, 2009;Yonemori et al, 1996;Yun et al, 2007;Zhang et al, 2010). However, in rodent experimental stroke models, investigation of deficits in spatial memory using the Morris watermaze may be confounded by coexisting sensory and motor impairments.…”

The neuroprotective effects of traditional oriental herbal medicines against β-amyloid-induced toxicity

“…gramineus has been reported to improve learning and memory, even following a stroke, in combination with other herbal medicines (Yun et al, 2007;Zhang et al, 2007). The neuroprotective activity of A. gramineus in the central nervous system (CNS) is mediated by signaling through NMDA (N-methyl-d-aspartate) receptors (Cho et al, 2001).…”

The beneficial effects of the herbal medicine Di-huang-yin-zi (DHYZ) on patients with ischemic stroke: A Randomized, Placebo controlled clinical study

“…35 Furthermore, its neuroprotective effects against neuronal and cognitive impairments induced by cerebral ischemia were also been confirmed. 36 Poria cocos was proved to have protective effect against brain ischaemia-reperfusion injury. 37 On the whole, some ingredients of DHYZ may have enhanced angiogenesis, and new blood vessels increased the blood flow in the affected region, 38 thus further improving the exchange of oxygen and stimulated the neurogenesis.…”