• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.229-233
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• 2013

This study was aimed at investigating the possible effects of phytoceramide (Pcer) on learning and memory and their underlying mechanisms. Phytoceramide was orally administered to ICR mice for 7 days. Memory performances were assessed using the passive avoidance test and Y-maze task. The expressions of phosphorylated cAMP response element binding protein (pCREB), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were measured with immunoblot. The incorporation of 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU) in hippocampal regions was investigated by using immunohistochemical methods. Treatment of Pcer enhanced cognitive performances in the passive avoidance test and Y-maze task. Immunoblotting studies revealed that the phosphorylated CREB and BDNF were significantly increased on hippocampus in the Pcer-treated mice. Immunohistochemical studies showed that the number of immunopositive cells to BrdU was significantly increased in the hippocampal dentate gyrus regions after Pcer-treatment for 7 days. These results suggest that Pcer contribute to enhancing memory and BDNF expression and it could be secondary to the elevation of neurogenesis.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.27-35
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• 2012

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to characterize the effect of the fraction of Taraxacum officinale and T.coreanum on the learning and memory impairments induced by scopolamine. Methods : The cognition-enhancing effect of Taraxacum officinale and T.coreanum was investigated using a passive avoidance test, the Morris water maze test and Y-maze test in mice. Drug-induced amnesia was induced by treating animals with scopolamine (1 mg/kg, i.p.). Results : The results showed that the Aug harvested T.offiicinale extract-treated group (200 mg/kg, p.o.) and the tacrine-treated group (10 mg/kg, p.o.) significantly ameliorated scopolamine-induced amnesia based on the Passive avoidance Y-maze test and Watermaze test. And these results are same manner in DPPH radical scavenger effect and Acetylcholineseterase inhibition effect. Conclusions : These results suggest that Taraxacum officinale extract maybe a useful cognitive impairment treatment, and its beneficial effects are depending on the collecting time and origin plants. As a result, Taraxacum officinale harvested in August improve memory most.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.442-449
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• 2017

Adenophora triphylla var. japonica extract has been reported to have estrogenic activity and beneficial effects in postmenopausal women requiring estrogen replacement therapy. This study investigated the effects of A. triphylla extract on cognitive function in ovariectomized mice. Water extracts from A. triphylla were administrated to ovariectomized mice fed a high fat diet for 6 weeks. The step through latency time in the passive avoidance test was shortened in ovariectomized mice as compared with sham-operated mice. However, administration of A. triphylla extracts had a tendency to prolong the latency time in ovariectomized mice. Moreover, A. triphylla supplementation caused a significant decrease in mean escape latency in the water maze test. These results indicate that A. triphylla could be used to improve estrogen deficiency-related learning and memory impairments in postmenopausal women.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.119-124
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• 2017

Taraxacum platycarpum H. Dahl. (Compositae) has been used as an anti-inflammatory or anti-cancer agent in the clinic. Although its antidepressant effect has been reported, however, its cognitive function is not investigated until yet. In the present study, we investigated whether the water extract of T. platycarpum (WETP) could improve cognitive function in cholinergic blockade-induced amnesia mouse model using the passive avoidance or Y-maze task. WETP (12.5, 25 or 50 mg/kg) significantly ameliorated the scopolamine-induced cognitive impairment both in the passive avoidance test and the Y-maze test. In addition, WETP significantly inhibited acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity measured by an ex vivo study using the mouse whole brain. These results suggest that WETP alleviates the cognitive dysfunction caused by the cholinergic blockade, in part, via AChE inhibition, and that it may be a useful for treating cognitive dysfunction.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.123-128
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• 2012

Evidence suggests that even low-dose irradiation can lead to progressive cognitive decline and memory deficits, which implicates, in part, hippocampal dysfunction in both humans and experimental animals. This study examined whether diethyldithiocarbamate (DDC) could attenuate memory impairment, using passive avoidance and object recognition test, and suppression of hippocampal neurogenesis, using the TUNEL assay and immunohistochemical detection with markers of neurogenesis (Kiel 67 (Ki-67) and doublecortin (DCX)) in adult mice treated with gamma radiation (0.5 or 2 Gy). DDC was administered intraperitonially at a dosage of 1,000 $mg{\cdot}kg^{-1}$ of body weight at 30 min. before irradiation. In passive avoidance and object recognition memory test, the mice, trained for 1 day after acute irradiation (2 Gy) showed significant memory deficits compared with the sham controls. The number of TUNEL-positive apoptotic nuclei in the dentate gyrus (DG) was increased 12 h after irradiation. In addition, the number of Ki-67- and DCX-positive cells were significantly decreased. DDC treatment prior to irradiation attenuated the memory defect, and blocked the apoptotic death. DDC may attenuate memory defect in a relatively low-dose exposure of radiation in adult mice, possibly by inhibiting a detrimental effect of irradiation on hippocampal neurogenesis.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2007

Objective : The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effects of Cheongsimondam-tang(COT) on the animal model of depression induced immobilization stress. Method 1) Male rats were used for this experiment. The subject were divided into 4 groups(1. normal 2. saline solution administered during immobilization stress treatment 3. COT of 100mg/kg administered 4. COT of 400mg/kg administered). 2) Immobilization stress was treated for 1 hours on day. During 2 days of immobilization stress treatment, they were executed forced swimming test, passive avoidance test, elevated plus maze test. Corticosterone in blood were measured Results 1) In EPM test, stress group showed significantly increased anxiety, COT groups showed significantly decreased anxiety. 2) In forced swimming test, COT groups did not show significantly decreased immobilization. 3) In passive avoidance test, stress group showed significantly decreased learning execution, COT groups showed significantly increased learning execution. 4) Stress group showed significantly increase in serum level of corticosterone, COT of 400mg/kg group showed significantly decreased serum level of corticosterone. Conclusion : These results suggest that Cheongsimondam-tang(COT) is effective in the treatment of depression.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.11-20
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• 2012

Purpose : This study is intended to examine the repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on cognitive function in the focal ischemic stroke rat model. Methods : This study selected 30 Sprague-Dawley rats of 8 weeks. The groups were divided into two groups and assigned 15 rats to each group. Control group: Non-treatment after injured by focal ischemic stroke; Experimental group: application of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation(0.1 Tesla, 25 Hz, 20 min/time, 2 times/day, 5 days/2 week) after injured by focal ischemic stroke. To assess the effect of rTMS, the passive avoidance test, spatial learning and memory ability test were analyzed at the pre, 1 day, $7^{th}$ day, $14^{th}$ day and immunohistochemistric response of BDNF were analyzed in the hippocampal dentate gyrus at $7^{th}$ day, $14^{th}$ day. Results : In passive avoidance test, the outcome of experimental group was different significantly than the control group at the $7^{th}$ day, $14^{th}$ day. In spatial learning and memory ability test, the outcome of experimental group was different significantly than the control group at the $7^{th}$ day, $14^{th}$ day. In immunohistochemistric response of BDNF in the hippocampal dentate gyrus, experimental groups was more increased than control group. Conclusion : These result suggest that improved cognitive function by repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation after focal ischemic stroke is associated with dynamically altered expression of BDNF in hippocampal dentate gyrus and that is related with synaptic plasticity.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.48-54
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• 2014

Alzheimer's disease is progressive neurodegenerative disorder by the loss of memory and learning abilities. Codonopsis lanceolata (C. lanceolata) is traditional medicinal plant used for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. The aim of study was to evaluate the effect of steamed C. lanceolata on scopolamine-induced memory impairment in the Morris water maze test and passive avoidance test. In addition, this study investigated the neuroprotective effects of steamed C. lanceolata on glutamate-induced cell death in HT22 cells using MTT assay. The results showed that steamed C. lanceolata (500 mg/kg body weight, p.o.) reversed spatial memory impairment by scopolamine in Morris water maze test and passive avoidance test. Steamed C. lanceolata attenuated memory impairment by scopolamine compared with common C. lanceolata. In addition, administration of steamed C. lanceolata significantly also reduced cell death. We suggest that steaming process more improve cognitive enhancing and neuroprotective effect of C. lanceolata than common C. lanceolata.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.684-692
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• 2003

The herbal extract(YMT_02) is a modified extracts from Yukmijihwang-tang(YMJ) to promote memory-enhancing. The YMJ extracts has been widely used as replenishing yin and tonifying the kidneys herbal medicine for hundred years ia Asian countries. The purpose of this study is to: 1) quantitatively evaluate the memory-enhancing effect of YMT_02 by passive avoidance test, 2) statistical evaluation of candidate gene expression (pentraxin. PEP-19, transthyretin) in rat hippocampus. The hippocampi of YMT_02 and control group were dissected and mRNA was further purified. After synthesizing cDNA using oligo-dT primer, the cDNA were applied to Real Time PCR. The results were as follows : 1) passive avoidance test showed enhancing memory retentin by YMT_02 treatment, 2) expression of pentraxin, that accelerate degenerating of neuronal cell, was significantly decreased, 3) the mRNA of genes that has been known to be associated with protecting neuronal cell degeneration, such as PEP-19 and transthyretin, were significantly increased upon YMT_02 treatment. From above results, the administration of YMT_02 which tonify the function of Kidneys could enhance the ability of memory and learning. In addition, the administration of YMT_02 enhance memory retention through modulating particular gene (pentraxin, PEP-19, transthyretin) expressions in hippocampu.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.45-55
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• 2007

Objective : The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effects of Radix Curcumae on the animal model of depression induced immobilization stress. Method : 1) Male rats were used for this experiment. The subject were divided into 4 groups(1. normal 2. saline solution administered during immobilization stress treatment 3. Radix Curcumae of l00mg/kg administered 4. Radix Curcumae of 400mg/kg administered). 2) Immobilization stress was treated for 1 hours on day. During 2 days of immobilization stress treatment, they were executed forced swimming test, passive avoidance test, elevated plus maze test. Corticosterone in blood were measured. Results : 1) In EPM test, stress group showed significantly increased anxiety, Radix Curcumae of 400mg/kg group showed significantly decreased anxiety. 2) In forced swimming test, Radix Curcumae of 400mg/kg group showed significantly decreased immobilization. 3) In passive avoidance test, stress group showed significantly decreased learning execution, Radix Curcumae groups showed significantly increased learning execution. 4) Stress group showed significantly increase in serum level of corticosterone, Radix Curcumae of 400mg/kg group showed significantly decreased serum level of corticosterone. Conclusion : These results suggest that Radix Curcumae is effective in the treatment of depression.