title: Osthole improves synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus and cognitive function of Alzheimer's disease rats via regulating glutamate.
abstract: Osthole, an effective monomer in Chinese medicinal herbs, can cross the blood-brain barrier and protect against brain injury, with few toxic effects. In this study, a rat model of Alzheimer's disease was established after intracerebroventricular injection of β-amyloid peptide (25-35). Subsequently, the rats were intraperitoneally treated with osthole (12.5 or 25.0 mg/kg) for 14 successive days. Results showed that osthole treatment significantly improved cognitive impairment and protected hippocampal neurons of Alzheimer's disease rats. Also, osthole treatment alleviated suppressed long-term potentiation in the hippocampus of Alzheimer's disease rats. In these osthole-treated Alzheimer's disease rats, the level of glutamate decreased, but there was no significant change in γ-amino-butyric acid. These experimental findings suggest that osthole can improve learning and memory impairment, and increase synaptic plasticity in Alzheimer's disease rats. These effects of osthole may be because of its regulation of central glutamate and γ-amino-butyric acid levels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, Hebei Province, China ; Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou 075000, Hebei Province, China.
authors.forename: Xiaohua
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, Hebei Province, China ; Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou 075000, Hebei Province, China.
authors.forename: Danshen
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou 075000, Hebei Province, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou 075000, Hebei Province, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, the First Attached Hospital, Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou 075000, Hebei Province, China.
authors.forename: Xianyong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Meng
keywords: Alzheimer's disease; brain; glutamate; hippocampus; learning and memory; long-term potentiation; neural regeneration; osthole; β-amyloid peptide; γ-amino-butyric acid