Anti-amnesic effect of Chong-Myung-Tang on scopolamine-induced memory impairments in mice.
OBJECTIVE
Chong-Myung-Tang (CMT) consisted of Acorus gramineus Soland, Polygala tenuifolia Willdenow, and Poria cocos Wolf is one of the traditional Korean herbal medicines used for the therapy of learning and memory improvement. The present study was investigated the effect of CMT on learning and memory functions in SCOP-induced memory deficits mice.


METHODS
The cognitive-enhancing effect of CMT on amnesic mice induced by SCOP was investigated by assessing the passive avoidance test and the Morris water maze test. In order to confirm the underlying mechanisms of memory enhancing effects of CMT, activities of AChE, choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), and antioxidant enzymes were measured.


RESULTS
Administration of CMT significantly restored memory impairments induced by SCOP in the passive avoidance test and also reduced escape latency during trial sessions in the Morris water maze test. The increased AChE activity produced by SCOP was significantly inhibited by CMT. CMT significantly enhanced ChAT activity. Moreover, treatment with CMT to the amnesic mice induced by SCOP considerably decreased malondialdehyde levels and restored activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase to the control values.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that CMT may be useful for the cognitive improvement via regulation of cholinergic marker enzyme activities and the antioxidant defense system.
Lee
Mi-Ra
MR
Department of Food Science and Technology, Chungnam National University, Daejon 305-764, Republic of Korea.
Yun
Beom-Sik
BS
Park
Sun-Young
SY
Ly
Sun-Young
SY
Kim
Sung-Nam
SN
Han
Byung-Hee
BH
Sung
Chang-Keun
CK
D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000378:metabolism; D000647:Amnesia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism; D018678:Cholinergic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D055670:Medicine, Korean Traditional; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D051379:Mice; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012601:Scopolamine
D000975:Antioxidants; D018678:Cholinergic Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; C555710:chong-myung-tang; D012601:Scopolamine; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase