title: Kami-ondam-tang, a traditional herbal prescription, attenuates the prepulse inhibition deficits and cognitive impairments induced by MK-801 in mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Kami-ondam-tang (KODT) has been used to treat neuropsychiatric disorders, including neurosis and insomnia, in traditional herbal medicine. However, the mechanisms of this drug have not been well characterized in the treatment of schizophrenia-like behaviors.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We investigated whether schizophrenia-like behaviors induced by MK-801, a non-competitive N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, could be attenuated by KODT.
  
  
  METHODS
  Acute systemic administration of MK-801 was used to establish an animal model of schizophrenia. The effects of KODT on the MK-801-induced prepulse inhibition (PPI) deficits, hyperlocomotion, social withdrawal, and cognitive impairment were assessed. We also examined the changes in the expression levels of Akt and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) after the administration of KODT with MK-801 in the cortical and hippocampal tissues.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The acoustic startle response test showed that the acoustic startle enhancement and PPI deficits induced by MK-801 were attenuated by KODT. Moreover, KODT ameliorated social and objective recognition impairments that were induced by MK-801 in the social novelty preference test and the novel object recognition test. In addition, the upregulation of phosphorylated Akt or phosphorylated ERK expression induced by MK-801 was blocked by KODT in the cortex. However, MK-801-induced hyperlocomotion was not affected by KODT in the open field test.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that KODT attenuates MK-801-induced PPI disruption, social interaction deficits, and cognitive impairments, possibly, by regulating of cortical Akt and ERK signaling.
authors: Department of Oriental Pharmaceutical Science, Kyung Hee East-West Pharmaceutical Research Institute, College of Pharmacy, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 130-701, Republic of Korea.
authors: Hee Kyong
authors: HK
authors: Oh
authors: Se Jin
authors: SJ
authors: Park
authors: Shin Gil
authors: SG
authors: Bae
authors: Min Jeong
authors: MJ
authors: Kim
authors: Jung Hwa
authors: JH
authors: Jang
authors: Young Je
authors: YJ
authors: Ahn
authors: Hyun
authors: H
authors: Woo
authors: Guyoung
authors: G
authors: Kwon
authors: Jong Hoon
authors: JH
authors: Ryu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D008517:Phytotherapy; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism; D013216:Reflex, Startle / Q000187:drug effects; D012919:Social Behavior
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; C421404:kami-untan-to; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases