title: Enhancements of choline acetyltransferase activity and nerve growth factor secretion by Polygalae radix-extract containing active ingredients in Kami-untan-to.
abstract: The effects of Kami-untan-to (KUT) and component herbs on choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity of basal forebrain cells and nerve growth factor (NGF) secretion from astroglial cells were examined. When rat embryo basal forebrain cells were cultured in the presence of the extracts of KUT or Polygalae radix (PR) for 3 days, a significant increase of ChAT activity was observed. An extract of KUT minus Polygala radix did not enhance the ChAT activity in basal forebrain cells. Polygalae Radix extract at 12.5-50 μg/ml increased ChAT activity of basal forebrain cells and 25 μg/ml of Polygalae radix extract time-dependently enhanced ChAT activity and ChAT mRNA. Oral administration of PR-extract or its hydrolyzed common constituents, 3, 5-dimethoxy-4-hydroxycinnamic acid (sinapinic acid), in Polygalae radix, induced ChAT activity in cerebral cortex of basal forebrain lesioned rats. PR-extract also induced the NGF secretion in astroglial cells. These results suggest that Polygala radix has an important role on the enhancing effects of KUT on ChAT activity and NGF secretion.
authors.affiliation: Oriental Medicine Research Center of the Kitasato Institute, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yabe
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iizuka
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Komatsu
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamada