title: Effects of shosaikoto, an oriental herbal medicinal mixture, on age-induced amnesia in rats.
abstract: The possibility of naturally occurring amnesia was examined in aging Fischer F254 rats. Animals 110 weeks old showed a loss of learning and memory in a passive avoidance responses (PAR) failure test. When 120 mg/kg/day of Shosaikoto extract was placed in the diet after 72 weeks of age to 110 weeks, it improved age-induced PAR failure in both the two-compartment avoidance box test and the step-down test. The responses of 110-week-old Shosaikoto-treated rats on both PAR failures were almost the same as those of non-treated 6-week-old rats. In these Shosaikoto-treated rats, dopamine was increased and norepinephrine and vanillyl mandelic acid were decreased in brain relative to those in non-treated aging rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Amagaya
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Umeda
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ogihara
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000375:Aging / Q000187:drug effects*; D000647:Amnesia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D010936:Plant Extracts; C461321:shosaikoto-go-keishika-shakuyakuto