title: Huperzine A attenuates cognitive deficits and hippocampal neuronal damage after transient global ischemia in gerbils.
abstract: The protective effects of huperzine A on transient global ischemia in gerbils were investigated. Five min of global ischemia in gerbils results in working memory impairments shown by increased escape latency in a water maze and reduced time spent in the target quadrant. These signs of dysfunction are accompanied by delayed degeneration of pyramidal hippocampal CA1 neurons and by decrease in acetylcholinesterase activity in the hippocampus. Subchronic oral administration of huperzine A (0.1 mg/kg, twice per day for 14 days) after ischemia significantly reduced the memory impairment, reduced neuronal degeneration in the CA1 region, and partially restored hippocampal choline acetyltransferase activity. The ability of huperzine A to attenuate memory deficits and neuronal damage after ischemia might be beneficial in cerebrovascular type dementia.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 294 Tai-yuan Road, 200031, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: H Y
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: X C
authors.initials: XC
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000378:metabolism; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000470:Alkaloids; D000818:Animals; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D005849:Gerbillinae; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D000470:Alkaloids; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; C050426:huperzine A; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase