title: Effects of imperatorin on scopolamine-induced cognitive impairment and oxidative stress in mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Imperatorin, a naturally occurring furanocoumarin, inactivates gamma-aminobutyric acid transaminase and inhibits acetylcholinesterase activity.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of our experiment was to examine the influence of imperatorin on cognitive impairment and oxidative stress in the brain induced by scopolamine in male Swiss mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the present studies, we used scopolamine-invoke memory deficit measured in passive avoidance (PA) paradigm as an animal model of Alzheimer disease (AD).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our finding revealed that imperatorin administered acutely at the doses of 5 and 10 mg/kg prior to the injection of scopolamine (1 mg/kg) improved memory acquisition and consolidation impaired by scopolamine. Furthermore, repeatable (7 days, twice daily) administration of the highest dose of imperatorin (10 mg/kg) significantly attenuated the effects of scopolamine on memory acquisition, whereas the doses of 5 and 10 mg/kg of this furanocoumarin were effective when memory consolidation was measured. Imperatorin, administered with scopolamine, increased antioxidant enzymes activity and decreased concentration of malondiamide, an indicator of lipid peroxidation level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results demonstrate that imperatorin may offer protection against scopolamine-induced memory impairments and possesses antioxidant properties, thus after further preclinical and clinical studies this compound may provide an interesting approach in pharmacotherapy, as well as prophylactics of AD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland, basia.budzynska@umlub.pl.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Budzynska
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Boguszewska-Czubara
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kruk-Slomka
authors.forename: Krystyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Skalicka-Wozniak
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Michalak
authors.forename: Irena
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Musik
authors.forename: Grazyna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Biala
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D011564:Furocoumarins / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D051379:Mice; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012601:Scopolamine
chemical_list: D011564:Furocoumarins; D010936:Plant Extracts; D012601:Scopolamine; C031534:imperatorin