title: Paeoniflorin improves learning deficit in 4-arm baited radial maze performance in rats with unilateral nucleus basalis magnocellularis lesion.
abstract: Paeoniflorin, a major constituent of peony root, has been demonstrated to attenuate scopola-mine-induced memory deficit in radial maze task in rats. To further investigate the therapeutic potential of this agent, the effects on a spatial learning deficit produced by unilateral lesion of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis (nBM) were examined using a 4-arm baited radial maze task in rats. Both working and reference memories were impaired by the nBM lesion. Daily treatment with paeoniflorin (0.1 and 1 mg/kg, PO) significantly improved the nBM lesion-induced learning deficits in terms of both working and reference memories. Paeoniflorin, however, did not attenuate the cortical choline acetyltransferase activity decreased by the nBM lesion. These data clearly demonstrate the beneficial effects of paeoniflorin on spatial cognition in rats.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pharmacology, Research Institute for Wakan-Yaku (Oriental Medicines).
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ohta
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nishi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Watanabe