Open AccessEffect of Long-Term Administration of Berberine on Scopolamine Induced Amnesia in Rats.
Author(s) -
Weng-Huang Peng,
Μing-Tsuen Hsieh,
ChiRei Wu
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
japanese journal of pharmacology/japanese journal of pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1347-3506
pISSN - 0021-5198
DOI - 10.1254/jjp.74.261
Subject(s) - amnesia , physostigmine , neostigmine , scopolamine , cholinergic , pharmacology , medicine , psychology , anesthesia , psychiatry
The effect of berberine (BER) on scopolamine (SCOP)-induced amnesia was investigated in a step-through passive avoidance task in rats. It was observed that BER at the doses of 0.1 and 0.5 g/kg after 7-day or 14-day administration significantly improved SCOP-induced amnesia. The anti-amnesic effect of BER after 14-day administration on the SCOP-induced amnesia was significantly augmented by physostigmine or neostigmine, and completely reversed by scopolamine N-methylbromide. These results suggest that the antiamnesic effect of BER after 14-day administration may be related to the increase in the peripheral and central cholinergic neuronal system activity.