title: Astragalosides attenuate learning and memory impairment in rats following ischemia‑reperfusion injury.
abstract: Astragalosides (ASTs) have been traditionally used in the treatment of various cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. The aim of the present study was to investigate the neuroprotective effects of AST on learning and memory following focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion in a rat model. A Morris water maze was used to measure the effect of AST on learning and memory impairments. A histological examination and Hoechst 33258 staining was used to observe the neuronal changes and apoptosis in the hippocampus. The activity of phospho-extracellular signal‑regulated kinases (p‑ERK), p‑c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK) and p‑Akt was measured by western blotting. The data revealed that AST improved the rats learning and memory abilities, attenuated neuronal cells apoptosis, increased the expression of p‑ERK and p‑Akt, and decreased the expression of p‑JNK. These findings indicated that AST has protective effects that may be correlated with the inhibition of neuronal cell apoptosis and the regulation of p‑ERK, p‑Akt and p‑JNK expression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Anhui Medical University, Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Research and Development, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui 230032, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yang-Yang
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Anhui Medical University, Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Research and Development, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui 230032, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Wang-Yang
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Anhui Medical University, Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Research and Development, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui 230032, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Hui-Ling
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Anhui Medical University, Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Research and Development, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui 230032, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Wei-Zu
authors.initials: WZ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Anhui Medical University, Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Research and Development, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui 230032, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yan-Yan
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Yin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D056547:CA1 Region, Hippocampal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D004924:Escape Reaction / Q000187:drug effects; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases; D020244:Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D010766:Phosphorylation; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012503:Saponins / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013550:Swimming
chemical_list: D012503:Saponins; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases