title: Effects of ferulic acid on the impairment of inhibitory avoidance performance in rats.
abstract: Ferulic acid (50 and 100 mg/kg) reversed the step-through latency shortened by scopolamine and cycloheximide but not by p-chloroamphetamine in an inhibitory avoidance performance. Piracetam and tacrine might reverse the step-through latency shortened by the above drugs. However, ferulic acid, piracetam or tacrine alone at any used dose did not influence motor activity produced by non-shock rats. Furthermore, the cerebral blood flow of rats treated with ferulic acid, piracetam or tacrine was enhanced. From these results, we suggest that the potency of ferulic acid was better than that of piracetam, but its action mechanism was somewhat different from that of piracetam and tacrine. Thus, the attenuating effects of ferulic acid on the avoidance performance impairment were related to memory processes, and might be enhancing the cholinergic activities and cerebral blood circle.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chinese Pharmaceutical Sciences, China Medical College, Taichung, Taiwan, R.O.C.
authors.forename: Ming-Tsuen
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.forename: Fan-Hsiu
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Ying-Chih
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Wen-Hsin
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Chi-Rei
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D029971:Angelica sinensis / Q000737:chemistry; D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D002491:Central Nervous System Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002536:Cerebral Arteries; D003373:Coumaric Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D002491:Central Nervous System Agents; D003373:Coumaric Acids; C004999:ferulic acid