title: Senegenin attenuates hepatic ischemia-reperfusion induced cognitive dysfunction by increasing hippocampal NR2B expression in rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The root of Polygala tenuifolia, a traditional Chinese medicine, has been used to improve memory and intelligence, while the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the protective effects of senegenin, an component of Polygala tenuifolia root extracts, on cognitive dysfunction induced by hepatic ischemia-reperfusion.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Initially, we constructed a rat model of hepatic ischemia-reperfusion (HIR) and found that the memory retention ability of rats in the step-down and Y maze test was impaired after HIR, paralleled by a decrease of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor NR2B subunit mRNA and protein expressions in hippocampus. Furthermore, we found that administration of senegenin by gavage attenuated HIR-induced cognitive impairment in a dose and time dependent manner, and its mechanisms might partly due to the increasing expression of NR2B in rat hippocampus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cognitive dysfunction induced by HIR is associated with reduction of NR2B expression. Senegenin plays a neuroprotective role in HIR via increasing NR2B expression in rat hippocampus. These findings suggest that senegenin might be a potential agent for prevention and treatment of postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) or other neurodegenerative diseases.
authors.affiliation: Drum Tower Clinical College of Chinese and Western Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Weibin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Xiaoping
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Yaguo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Yu-e
authors.initials: YE
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Jinhua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bo
authors.forename: Zhengliang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ma
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D007511:Ischemia; D008099:Liver / Q000098:blood supply*; D008297:Male; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000150:complications*
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; C121001:NR2B NMDA receptor; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; C493220:tenuigenin