title: Protective effect of methanol extract of Uncaria rhynchophylla against excitotoxicity induced by N-methyl-D-aspartate in rat hippocampus.
abstract: Uncaria rhynchophylla is a medicinal herb used for convulsive disorders in Oriental medicine. In this study, the effect of the methanol extract of Uncaria rhynchophylla against N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-induced excitotoxicity was investigated. Pretreatment with the extract of Uncaria rhynchopylla reduced the degree of neuronal damage induced by NMDA exposure in cultured hippocampal slices. In the patch clamp study, Uncaria rhynchophylla significantly inhibited NMDA receptor-activated ion current in acutely dissociated hippocampal CA1 neurons. These results indicate that Uncaria rhynchophylla offers protection against NMDA-induced neuronal injury and inhibitory action on NMDA receptor-mediated ion current may be a mechanism behind the neuroprotective effect of Uncaria rhynchophylla.
authors.affiliation: Department of Herbal Pharmacology, Graduate School of East-West Medical Science, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jongseok
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Dongwook
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Son
authors.forename: Pyeongjae
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Dae-Keun
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Min-Chul
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Mi-Hyeon
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Chang-Ju
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Yong-Sik
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sun-Yeou
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hocheol
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D000432:Methanol; D016202:N-Methylaspartate / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000633:toxicity; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000633:toxicity; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology; D011419:Propidium / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000502:physiology; D032070:Uncaria / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D007473:Ion Channels; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D009498:Neurotoxins; D010936:Plant Extracts; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D011419:Propidium; D016202:N-Methylaspartate; D000432:Methanol