The effects of (-)clausenamide on functional recovery in transient focal cerebral ischemia.

Abstract

The effects of (-)clausenamide (clau) on spatial cognitive functions and hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) after transient focal cerebral ischemia in rats were investigated. Four weeks after middle cerebral artery occlusion, Morris water maze tasks demonstrated that 2 h of transient forebrain ischemia resulted in a significant decrease in spatial discrimination performance. The escape latency at 4 and 5 days of acquisition trial was lower in the ischemic rats than in sham-operated rats (33.8+/-6.7 sec and 26.8+/-5 sec versus 12.2+/-4.0 sec and 10.4+/-3.6 sec), chronic treatment with clau (10 mg kg(-1) p.o. once daily) significantly improved the impairment (12.4+/-4.1 sec and 15.2+/-3.1 sec). After Morris water maze, the changes in population spike (PS) amplitude were recorded as an index of LTP in the perforant path-dentate gyrus synapses. There was no difference in PS amplitude between the sham-operated and vehicle-treated animals, whereas the fractional increase of PS 20-50 min after tetanus was significantly larger in clau-treated group. Histopathological analysis revealed that clau could protect against neuron loss in the regions of cortex and striatum. In conclusion, these data indicate a beneficial effect of clau for synaptic plasticity and cognitive function impaired by transient focal cerebral ischemia.

• Authors: Kang Tang, Jun-Tian Zhang
• Journal: Neurological research (Neurol Res) Vol. 24 Issue 5 Pg. 473-8 (Jul 2002) ISSN: 0161-6412 [Print] England
• PMID: 12117317 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Drugs, Chinese Herbal
• Lactams
• Lignans
• clausenamide

Topics

• Action Potentials (drug effects, physiology)
• Animals
• Brain (drug effects, pathology, physiopathology)
• Brain Ischemia (drug therapy, pathology, prevention & control)
• Cognition Disorders (drug therapy, etiology, pathology)
• Drugs, Chinese Herbal (pharmacology)
• Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery (drug therapy, metabolism, physiopathology)
• Ischemic Attack, Transient (drug therapy, metabolism, physiopathology)
• Lactams (pharmacology)
• Lignans (pharmacology)
• Male
• Maze Learning (drug effects, physiology)
• Nerve Degeneration (drug therapy, pathology, prevention & control)
• Neurons (drug effects, metabolism, pathology)
• Rats
• Rats, Wistar
• Recovery of Function (drug effects, physiology)
• Reperfusion Injury (drug therapy, metabolism, physiopathology)
• Treatment Outcome