CRW and MHS carried out all the experimentation, acquisition of data, conceived, designed, supervised the study, drafted and revised the manuscript. HCL identified the plants, and provided the plant extracts.
Acknowledgments
We thank the financial support of National Sciences Council NSC101-2320-B-039-050, NSC101-2120-M-009-008 and NSC102-2320-B-039-037. We also thank that CT extract was given by Sinphar Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.
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Table 1. Effects of CT extract (100, 200 mg/kg) or donepezil (0.75 mg/kg) on the levels of cortical and hippocampal neurotransmitters and their metabolites in A 1-42-infused rats.
The levels in cortex (nmol/mg protein for ACh and choline, ng/g protein for other transmitters)
ACh Choline MHPG NE DOPAC HVA DA
Vehicle 224.25±25.55** 629.00±98.35 26.35±2.72 15.68±0.76 16.75±1.70* 3.71±0.58 3.92±0.44**
A 1-42 141.35±7.95 553.10±31.55 23.27±1.97 13.86±1.29 11.66±1.13 2.76±0.43 2.33±0.28
CT extract
100 mg/kg 145.98±18.78 716.40±69.81 29.91±4.91 15.94±1.30 13.89±3.03 4.29±0.93 2.95±0.65 200 mg/kg 181.49±13.71* 693.45±48.05 24.51±4.16 10.31±1.07 9.50±2.10 2.98±0.85 2.23±0.33 Donepezil 168.32±6.58* 467.26±32.85 15.16±2.51* 10.73±2.33 10.49±2.38 2.42±0.78 3.10±0.46
The levels in hippocampus (nmol/mg protein for ACh and choline, ng/g protein for other transmitters)
ACh Choline MHPG NE DOPAC HVA DA
Vehicle 72.88±8.64*
** 295.26±18.06** 639.83±53.38 63.64±2.56* 5.87±0.92 3.68±0.41 5.36±0.75***
A 1-42 28.45±2.62 173.10±18.15 639.23±68.26 52.67±4.21 5.13±0.80 3.39±0.36 1.00±0.21
CT extract
100 mg/kg 43.48±3.14 238.20±23.91 785.42±139.84 57.98±10.69 4.98±0.78 3.90±0.61 2.40±0.65*
200 mg/kg 50.44±8.98* 234.69±13.26 704.84±59.68 63.21±4.79 5.98±1.90 3.78±0.64 3.09±1.27*
Donepezil 51.11±9.54* 177.69±46.80 455.27±46.81* 32.80±3.88*** 3.19±1.00 2.45±0.33 1.33±0.37 Columns indicate means ± SEM (N=6). * P < 0.05, ** P < 0.01, *** P < 0.001 compared with A 1-42-infused rats.
Figure 1. Experimental schedule. LA: Locomotor activity assay, IA: Inhibitory avoidance test, MWM: Morris water maze test.
Figure 2. Effects of CT extract (100, 200 mg/kg) or donepezil (0.75 mg/kg) on the locomotor activity including movement time (A), movement length (B) and mean velocity (C), and the exploratory behavior including entries into holes (D) and time spent in holes (E) in A 1-42-infused rats. Columns indicate means ± SEM (N=20). * P < 0.05 compared with A 1-42-infused rats.
Figure 3. Effects of CT extract (100, 200 mg/kg) or donepezil (0.75 mg/kg) on the step-through latency of the inhibitory avoidance task (A), the spatial
performance (B), probe test (C), and swimming velocity (D) of the Morris water maze in A 1-42-infused rats. Columns indicate means ± SEM (N=20). * P < 0.05,
** P < 0.01, *** P < 0.001 compared with A 1-42-infused rats.
Figure 4. Effects of CT extract (100, 200 mg/kg) or donepezil (0.75 mg/kg) on the A 1-42 deposition in A 1-42-infused rats. Columns indicate means ± SEM (N=6). * P < 0.05, ** P < 0.01 compared with A 1-42-infused rats.
Figure 5. Effects of CT extract (100, 200 mg/kg) or donepezil (0.75 mg/kg) on the AChE (A and B), MAO-A (C and D) and MAO-B (E and F) activity in the cortex (A, C and E) and hippocampus (B, D and F) of A 1-42-infused rats. Columns indicate means ± SEM (N=6). * P < 0.05, ** P < 0.01 compared with A 1-42-infused rats.