Ursolic acid ameliorates cognition deficits and attenuates oxidative damage in the brain of senescent mice induced by D-galactose.
Ursolic acid (UA), a pentracyclic triterpene, is reported to have an antioxidant activity. Here we assessed the protective effect of UA against the d-galactose (D-gal)-induced neurotoxicity. We found that UA markedly reversed the D-gal induced learning and memory impairment by behavioral tests. The following antioxidant defense enzymes were measured: superoxide dismutases (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione reductase (GR). The content of the lipid peroxidation product malondialdehyde (MDA) was also analyzed. Our results indicated that the neuroprotective effect of UA against D-gal induced neurotoxicity might be caused, at least in part, by the increase in the activity of antioxidant enzymes with a reduction in lipid peroxidation. And UA also inhibited the activation of caspase-3 induced by D-gal. Furthermore, we found that UA significantly increased the level of growth-associated protein GAP43 in the brain of D-gal-treated mice. These results suggest that the pharmacological action of UA may offer a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of age-related conditions.
Lu
Jun
J
Key Laboratory for Biotechnology on Medicinal Plants of Jiangsu Province, Xuzhou Normal University, Xuzhou 221116, PR China.
Zheng
Yuan-Lin
YL
Wu
Dong-Mei
DM
Luo
Lan
L
Sun
Dong-Xu
DX
Shan
Qun
Q
D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D019922:GAP-43 Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005690:Galactose / Q000633:toxicity*; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000097245:Ursolic Acid
D019922:GAP-43 Protein; D005690:Galactose; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014315:Triterpenes; D000097245:Ursolic Acid