Neuroprotective effects of citidine-5-diphosphocholine on impaired spatial memory in a rat model of cerebrovascular dementia.

Abstract

Citidine-5-diphosphocholine or citicoline (CDP-choline) is used as a neuroprotective and memory-enhancing drug in cerebral stroke, Alzheimer's disease, and other neurovascular diseases. Non-clinical studies have demonstrated the neuroprotective effects of CDP-choline in ischemic animal models. However, the relationship between the neuroprotective effect and the memory enhancing effect of CDP-choline is still unknown. No studies have demonstrated the ameliorative effect on impaired spatial memory and the suppressive effect on neuronal cell death of CDP-choline in the same model. In this study, we examined the effect of CDP-choline on impaired spatial memory and hippocampal CA1 neuronal death in rats subjected to repeated cerebral ischemia, and we compared the mechanism of CDP-choline to that of donepezil. Seven days post administration of CDP-choline (100, 300, 1000 mg/kg per day, p.o.) or donepezil increased correct choices and reduced error choices in an eight-arm radial maze task in a dose-dependent manner. Neuronal cell death of caspase-3 protein-positive neurons in the hippocampus were reduced by repeated administration of CDP-choline at the highest dose. These results suggest that CDP-choline has ameliorative effects on the impairment of spatial memory via hippocampal neuronal cell death in a rat model of cerebral ischemia.

• Authors: Kotaro Takasaki, Kanako Uchida, Risako Fujikawa, Ai Nogami, Kazuya Nakamura, Chihiro Kawasaki, Kazuko Yamaguchi, Masahiko Morita, Koji Morishita, Kaori Kubota, Shutaro Katsurabayashi, Kenichi Mishima, Michihiro Fujiwara, Katsunori Iwasaki
• Journal: Journal of pharmacological sciences (J Pharmacol Sci) Vol. 116 Issue 2 Pg. 232-7 ( 2011) ISSN: 1347-8648 [Electronic] Japan
• PMID: 21613753 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Neuroprotective Agents
• Cytidine Diphosphate Choline

Topics

• Animals
• Cytidine Diphosphate Choline (pharmacology)
• Disease Models, Animal
• Male
• Maze Learning
• Memory Disorders (prevention & control)
• Neuroprotective Agents (pharmacology)
• Rats
• Rats, Wistar