title: Effects of puerarin on scopolamine-, mecamylamine-, p-chloroamphetamine- and dizocilpine-induced inhibitory avoidance performance impairment in rats.
abstract: Puerarin at 10-50 mg/kg attenuated the mecamylamine- but not scopolamine-induced acquisition impairment of inhibitory avoidance performance in an inverse U-shape manner. p-Chloroamphetamine- and dizocilpine-induced acquisition impairment were reversed by puerarin at 25-50 mg/kg. Both piracetam, and tacrine attenuated impairment of inhibitory avoidance performance induced by all used drugs. Furthermore, puerarin, piracetam and tacrine alone did not alter step-through latency in the training trail but puerarin at 50 mg/kg and tacrine plus mecamylamine prolonged it in comparison with mecamylamine alone. From these results, we suggest that puerarin attenuated the deficits of inhibitory avoidance performance induced by mecamylamine, p-chloroamphetamine, and dizocilpine, the effects were related to increasing cholinergic activity via nicotinic but not muscarinic receptors, activating NMDA receptors, and decreasing serotonergic neuronal activity.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chinese Pharmaceutical Sciences, China Medical College, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Ming-Tsuen
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.forename: Li-Hsuan
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.forename: Fan-Hsiu
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Wen-Hsin
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Chi-Rei
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000647:Amnesia / Q000188:drug therapy; D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D007529:Isoflavones / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008464:Mecamylamine; D008517:Phytotherapy; D029908:Pueraria; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012601:Scopolamine; D010133:p-Chloroamphetamine
chemical_list: D007529:Isoflavones; D010133:p-Chloroamphetamine; D008464:Mecamylamine; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate; D012601:Scopolamine; C033607:puerarin