title: Tongqiao Huoxue Decoction ameliorates learning and memory defects in rats with vascular dementia by up-regulating the Ca(2+)-CaMKII-CREB pathway.
abstract: The present study was aimed at determining the effects of Tongqiao Huoxue Decoction (TQHXD) on the Ca(2+)-CaMKII-CREB pathway and the memory and learning capacities of rats with vascular dementia (VD). The rat VD model was established by using an improved bilateral carotid artery ligation method. The Morris water maze experiment was used to evaluate the ethology of the VD rats following treatments with TQHXD at 3.01, 6.02, and 12.04 g·kg(-1) per day for 31 days. At the end of experiment, the hippocampus were harvested and analyzed. Western blotting and RT-PCR were used to measure the expression levels of calmodulin-binding protein kinase II(CaMKII), protein kinase A(PKA), cAMP-response element binding protein(CREB), and three N-methyl-D-aspartic acid receptor subunits (NR1, NR2A, and NR2B). Our results revealed that TQHXD could alleviate the loss of learning abilities and increase the memory capacity (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01 vs the model group, respectively). The treatment with 6.02 and 12.04 g·kg(-1) of TQHXD significantly up-regulated the Ca(2+)-CaMKII-CREB pathway in the hippocampus. In conclusion, TQHXD showed therapeutic effects on a bilateral carotid artery ligation-induced vascular dementia model, through the up-regulation of calcium signalling pathways.
authors.affiliation: The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University of Pharmacy Department, the Third-Grade Pharmaceutical Chemistry Laboratory of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230022, China. Electronic address: gechaoliang@126.com.
authors.forename: Chao-Liang
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Ge
authors.affiliation: The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University of Pharmacy Department, the Third-Grade Pharmaceutical Chemistry Laboratory of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230022, China.
authors.forename: Xin-Ming
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University of Pharmacy Department, the Third-Grade Pharmaceutical Chemistry Laboratory of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230022, China.
authors.forename: Zhao-Gang
authors.initials: ZG
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University of Pharmacy Department, the Third-Grade Pharmaceutical Chemistry Laboratory of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230022, China.
authors.forename: Quan
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.affiliation: Anhui College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Research and Development, Hefei 230038, China.
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University of Pharmacy Department, the Third-Grade Pharmaceutical Chemistry Laboratory of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230022, China.
authors.forename: Du-Juan
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D054732:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D015140:Dementia, Vascular / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism; D008517:Phytotherapy; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015398:Signal Transduction; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D054732:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2; D002118:Calcium
keywords: Calcium; Learning and memory; Tongqiao Huoxue Decoction; Vascular dementia