Traditional Chinese herbs against hypertension enhance memory acquisition.
Recent findings of a link between high blood pressure (BP) and dementia have given new prospects. The aim of this study is to analyze a mixture of Chinese herbs, Tianma Gouteng Decoction (TGD), which was traditionally used to treat hypertension, and investigate its relation to ameliorating cognitive impairment. We discovered that TGD also had properties involving enhancement of memory acquisition (learning) skills in mice, but not memory consolidation. It was observed that TGD could prolong the step-through latency at doses of 1.0 and 2.5 g/kg on passive avoidance task in mice. TGD could be developed further to treat mice with amnesia, which was induced by scopolamine at the same dose under long-term (8 days) administration.
Ho
Shih-Ching
SC
Chinese Herbal Medicine Division, Development Center for Biotechnology Xizhi City, Taipei County 221, Taiwan. scho@mail.dcb.org.tw
Ho
Yueh-Feng
YF
Lai
Tzung-Hsien
TH
Liu
Tsu-Hwie
TH
Wu
Rey-Yih
RY
D000647:Amnesia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000818:Animals; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D008517:Phytotherapy; D012601:Scopolamine
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D012601:Scopolamine