• The Journal of Korean society of community based occupational therapy
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.23-31
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• 2019

Objective : The purpose of this study is to repeatedly conduct task-oriented training in scopolamine-induced dementia rats and as a result observe changes in the content of acetylcholine, a marker of cognitive function and central nervous system plasticity, to identify the improvement effect of dementia. Methods : It consisted of two groups. One group I was that did not perform task-oriented training in scopolamine-induced dementia rats and the other group II was that performed task-oriented training. Task-oriented training involved stretching, grasping and moving arms and walking obstacles on the legs. We performed a quantified passive avoidance test in the measurement of memory for cognitive function and compared the change in the content of acetylcholine for the plasticity of the central nervous system. Results : The results of the study are as follows: First, there was a significant improvement in cognitive function since the 4th days after task-oriented training of scopolamine-induced dementia rats(.00). Second, task-oriented training applied to scopolamine-induced dementia rats showed a significant increase in acetylcholine content. Conclusion : In this study, task-oriented training, which is often performed on senile dementia patients during occupational therapy intervention, was scientifically demonstrated in scopolamine-induced dementia rats by enhancement of cognitive function through memory improvement and increase in the content of acetylcholine confirming central nervous system plasticity.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.75-84
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• 2003

Object : The present experiments were designed to study on the memory enhancement of the extract of Gongjadaesungjichimjung-bang(GDJB). Methods : The water extract of GCJB has been tested for its activities on memory enhancement by passive avoidance task in vivo and for its inhibitory effect on the acetylcholine esterase activity. Results : GDJB water extract significantly enhanced the memory at a concentration of 50mg/kg, but this effect did not proportionally increased at a dose of l00mg/kg and significantly inhibited the acetylcholine esterase activity in a dose-dependent manner in in vitro assay with IC50 value of 1.57mg/ml and also in in vivo assay. Conclusion : The extract of GDJB showed a memory enhancement as well as the inhibitory effect on acetylcholine esterase activity, which suggest that this prescription may be applied for the treatment of memory impairment.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.17
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• pp.257-261
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• 2001

Recently, a traditional medicine called Gouteng-san, which consists of eleven herbs, was reported to be effective in treating vascular dementia with a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Gout-eng-san is also used for patients with vascular dementia in combination with Si-Wu-Tang. The effect of Gouteng-san and Si-Wu-Tang on deficit of learning behavior was investigated using step-down passive avoidance task in mice. Hot-water extract of Gouteng-san (1.5 and 6 g/kg, p.o.) significantly prolonged the step-down latency shortened by scopolamine. The extract of Uncaria hook (150 mg/kg, p.o.), one of the component herb of Gouteng-san, significantly prevented the decrease in the latency after scopolamine. Hot-water extract of Si-Wu-Tang (1.5 and 6 g/kg of dried herbs, p.o.) prevented dose-dependently scopola-mine-induced disruption qf learning behavior. Si-Wu-Tang also prevented the ischemia-induced deficit of learning behavior. Both hot water extract of peony and angelica (1.5 g/kg, p.o.), which are component herbs qf Si-Wu-Tang, prevented the scopolamine-induced learning behavior deficit. Scopolamine (10 uM) suppressed long-term potentiation (LTP) of population spike in the CA1 region of the rat hippocampal slices. Peoniflorin (0.1~ 1uM) extracted from paeony root significantly ameliorated scopolamine-induced inhibition of LTR These results suggest that improvement of deficit of learning behavior by Gouteng-san and Si-Wu-Tang is mediated by direct and/or indirect activation of the cholinergic system in the brain.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.249-258
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• 2017

To examine the effect of biflorin, a component of Syzygium aromaticum, on memory deficit, we introduced a scopolamine-induced cognitive deficit mouse model. A single administration of biflorin increased latency time in the passive avoidance task, ameliorated alternation behavior in the Y-maze, and increased exploration time in the Morris water maze task, indicating the improvement of cognitive behaviors against cholinergic dysfunction. The biflorin-induced reverse of latency in the scopolamine-treated group was attenuated by MK-801, an NMDA receptor antagonist. Biflorin also enhanced cognitive function in a naïve mouse model. To understand the mechanism of biflorin for memory amelioration, we performed Western blot. Biflorin increased the activation of protein kinase C-${\zeta}$ and its downstream signaling molecules in the hippocampus. These results suggest that biflorin ameliorates drug-induced memory impairment by modulation of protein kinase C-${\zeta}$ signaling in mice, implying that biflorin could function as a possible therapeutic agent for the treatment of cognitive problems.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.299-306
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• 2013

In the present study, we investigated the effect of ethanolic extract of the seed of Zizyphus jujuba var. spinosa (EEZS) on cholinergic blockade-induced memory impairment in mice. Male ICR mice were treated with EEZS. The behavioral tests were conducted using the passive avoidance, the Y-maze, and the Morris water maze tasks. EEZS (100 or 200 mg/kg, p.o.) significantly ameliorated the scopolamine-induced cognitive impairment in our present behavioral tasks without changes of locomotor activity. The ameliorating effect of EEZS on scopolamine-induced memory impairment was significantly reversed by a sub-effective dose of MK-801 (0.0125 mg/kg, s.c.). In addition, single administration of EEZS in normal naive mouse enhanced latency time in the passive avoidance task. Western blot analysis was employed to confirm the mechanism of memory-ameliorating effect of EEZS. Administration of EEZS (200 mg/kg) increased the level of memory-related signaling molecules, including phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase or cAMP response element-binding protein in the hippocampal region. Also, the time-dependent expression level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor by the administration of EEZS was markedly increased from 3 to 9 h. These results suggest that EEZS has memory-ameliorating effect on scopolamine-induced cognitive impairment, which is mediated by the enhancement of the cholinergic neurotransmitter system, in part, via NMDA receptor signaling, and that EEZS would be useful agent against cognitive dysfunction such as Alzheimer's disease.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.253-259
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• 2019

Chaenomeles speciose Nakai (CSP) or Chaenomeles sinensis Koehne (CSS) (Rosaceae) has been used, traditionally, to treat muscle problems and gastric dampness in eastern Asia countries. Therefore, many studies have focused on investigating its active compounds and effects on muscle pain, arthritis and gastro-intestinal diseases. Recently, several studies reported that CSS extract degrade amyloid plaques and enhance synaptic acetylcholine level in vivo and in vitro. Although these two Chaenomeles species are used without differences, CSP is reported to contains more phenolic compounds which are known to enhance memory. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the memory ameliorating effects of CSP by employing the passive avoidance test, Y-maze task and novel object recognition test. CSP (30 or 100 mg/kg) ameliorated the declined memory induced by scopolamine injection and enhanced the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels along with post synaptic density protein 95 (PSD 95) levels at the hippocampus of the scopolamine-injected mouse brain. These results suggested that CSP alleviates the cognition declines caused by cholinergic blockade via enhancing BDNF levels and PSD 95, and that it would enhance memory formation and be useful for treating memory declines.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.81-87
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• 2020

Cognitive impairment is symptoms of dementia, a degenerative brain disease that is drawing attention in a rapidly aging society. This study was conducted to investigate the improvement of cognitive function of Leonurus japonicus on scopolamine-induced memory impairment in mice and the effect and mechanism of memory recovery. In vivo studies were conducted on mice orally pretreated with L. japonicus in doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg (p.o.) and scopolamine (1 mg/kg, i.p.) were injected 30 min before the behavioral task. Antioxidant activity was assessed by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) assay and 2,2-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) assay, and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition activity evaluated by Ellman's method. In behavior studies showed that L. japonicus has an improved the memory of scopolamine-treated mice in Y-maze, passive avoidance and Morris water maze test. In addition, L. japonicus was also exerted free radical scavenging activity and inhibited acetyl cholinesterase activity. These results suggest that L. japonicus improves short-term and long-term memory in scopolamine-induced memory decline model and prevents scopolamine-induced memory impairments through in reduced oxidative stress and acetyl cholinesterase inhibition effect. Thus, L. japonicus is related to functional medicinal materials for prevention and treatment of human dementia patients.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.386-390
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• 2014

BACKGROUND: Acanthopanax divaricatus var. albeofructus (ADA) extract has been reported to have anti-oxidant, immunomodulatory, and anti-mutagenic activity. MATERIALS/METHODS: We investigated the effects of ADA extract on two mouse models of Alzheimer's disease (AD); intracerebroventricular injection of ${\beta}$-amyloid peptide ($A{\beta}$) and amyloid precursor protein/presenilin 1 (APP/PS1)-transgenic mice. RESULTS: Intra-gastric administration of ADA stem extract (0.25 g/kg, every 12 hrs started from one day prior to injection of $A{\beta}1$-42 until evaluation) effectively blocked $A{\beta}1$-42-induced impairment in passive avoidance performance, and $A{\beta}1$-42-induced increase in immunoreactivities of glial fibrillary acidic protein and interleukin (IL)-$1{\alpha}$ in the hippocampus. In addition, it alleviated the $A{\beta}1$-42-induced decrease in acetylcholine and increase in malondialdehyde levels in the cortex. In APP/PS1-transgenic mice, chronic oral administration of ADA stem extract (0.1 or 0.5 g/kg/day for six months from the age of six to 12 months) resulted in significantly enhanced performance of the novel-object recognition task, and reduced amyloid deposition and IL-$1{\beta}$ in the brain. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that ADA stem extract may be useful for prevention and treatment of AD.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.11
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• pp.1381-1387
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• 2013

The leaves and roots of Ligularia stenocephala, which are widely used as a food in Korea, were investigated for their antioxidant activities and cytotoxicity in vitro, and their hepatoprotective effect, alcohol detoxicant efficacy, and memory-enhancing property were investigated in vivo. The unique odor of the leaves was analyzed by GC-MS. Lipid peroxidation, superoxide anion formation, and DPPH radicals were inhibited remarkably by the extracts of the leaves and roots. The leaves of this edible plant significantly protected the hepatotoxicity induced by carbon tetrachloride and further diminished the blood alcohol content in mice. While the roots of this plant exhibited adequate cytotoxicity against four human tumor cell lines, especially against melanoma, the leaves revealed relatively weak activity. Both the leaves and the roots exerted an excellent ameliorating property on scopolamine-induced memory impairment in the passive avoidance task using an animal model. The hexane fraction of the leaves was analyzed by GC-MS, suggesting that a series of terpenoids may be odorous compounds in this plant.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.207-221
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• 2018

Objectives: The objective of this study was to observe the anti-amnesic effects of Yukmijihwang-tang (YMJHT), on the scopolamine (Sco)-induced memory impairment in C57BL/6 mice through its favorable acetylcholine (ACh). Also, to observe acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, Choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) mRNA expressions, and antioxidant effect. Methods: Six groups, with a total of 20 normal and 100 Sco treated mice were selected based on their body weights after 1 week of acclimatization, were used in this study as follows. Half of the mice in each group were used for passive avoidance task tests and hippocampus ACh content, AChE activity and ChAT mRNA expression measurement, and the remaining half in each group used for Morris water maze test and measurement of cerebral antioxidant defense system. Results: Amnesia due to AChE activations and destroyed cerebral cortex antioxidant defense systems were markedly and dose-dependently inhibited after 28 days of continuous oral pre-treatment with YMJHT 400, 200 and 100 mg/kg, respectively. The overall effects of YMJHT 400 mg/kg were similar to those of tacrine 10 mg/kg. Conclusions: Based on the results, it was established that oral administration of YMJHT favorably alleviates Sco-induced memory impairment, through preservation of ACh, mediated by up-regulation of ChAT mRNA expressions and related AChE inhibition and augmentation of cerebral antioxidant defense system, at least in a condition of this experiment. The overall effects of YMJHT 400 mg/kg were similar to those of tacrine 10 mg/kg.