[Effects of Naohuandan Recipe on learning and memory abilities of SAM-P/8 mice and its role in anti-oxidation and anti-apoptosis].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of Naohuandan Recipe on learning and memory abilities of SAM-P/8 mice and its role in anti-oxidation and anti-apoptosis. METHODS: Forty SAM-P/8 mice were randomly divided into four groups, which were untreated (normal saline-treated) group, Yinkeluo Tablets (extracts of gingko leaf)-treated group, low-dose Naohuandan Recipe-treated group and high-dose Naohuandan Recipe-treated group. Mice in these groups were given corresponding drugs orally for 105 days. Then the performances of learning and memory of mice were tested by a step-down passive avoidance task and a Y-maze test. The serum levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) were detected. The expression level of bcl-xl mRNA in cerebral cortex and hippocampus of mice was detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). RESULTS: The performances of learning and memory in the Yinkeluo Tablets-treated group, low- and high-dose Naohuandan Recipe-treated groups were significantly improved as compared with those in the untreated group (P<0.05 or P<0.01), and such performance was the best in the high-dose Naohuandan Recipe-treated group among these four groups (P<0.01). The serum levels of SOD and GSH-Px and the expression of bcl-xl mRNA in cerebral cortex and hippocampus of mice in the Yinkeluo Tablets-treated group, low- and high-dose Naohuandan Recipe-treated groups were also significantly higher than those in the untreated group (P<0.05 or P<0.01), while the serum level of MDA in the untreated group was higher than that in the other three groups (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Naohuandan Recipe can improve learning and memory abilities of SAM-P/8 mice, and this effect may be related to its anti-oxidation efficacy and enhancement of expression level of bcl-xl mRNA.

Clinical observation and mechanism study on treatment of senile dementia with Naohuandan.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the therapeutic effect and mechanism of Naohuandan (NHD) in treating senile dementia (SD). METHODS: Clinical study: Fifty-eight patients with SD, whose diagnosis conforms to the Diagnostic Standard of DSM-IV issued by American Association of Psychiatry, were enrolled and randomly assigned into two groups. The 30 patients in the treated group were treated with NHD, 4 capsules each time, 3 times daily. The 28 patients in the control group were treated with Piracetam, 1.6 g each time, 3 times daily. The therapeutic course for both groups was 3 months. The therapeutic efficacy was estimated and compared by comprehensive scores of memory and cognition, scores of Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE) and Activities of Daily Living (ADL). Experimental study: Rats were divided into the control group, the model group and the high-dosage and low-dosage NHD treated groups. The protective effect of NHD on the per-oxidative damage of hippocampal neurons in beta-amyloid protein induced SD model was observed and the related criteria were determined. RESULTS: Clinical study showed that both NHD and Piracetam could improve the clinical symptoms of patients, the two medicines showing insignificant difference in total effective rate. But NHD was better in elevating MMSE score and lowering ADL score in patients than Piracetam (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01). Experimental study showed that (1) 24 and 72 hrs after modeling, the activity of SOD and GSH were lower and the level of MDA higher in the model group than those in the control group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Compared with the model group at the corresponding time points, in the high-dosage NHD group, SOD and GSH were higher, MDA was lower (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01); but in the low-dosage NHD group, SOD at the 72nd hr was higher (P < 0.05) and MDA at 24th and 72nd hrs was lower (P < 0.01). And most of the criteria in the high-dosage NHD group was improved better than that in the low-dosage NHD group. (2) The survival rates of neurons in various groups were not different significantly (P > 0.05) 24 hrs after modeling, but that in the high-dosage NHD group was significantly higher than that in the model group (P < 0.01) and in the low-dosage NHD group 72 hrs after modeling (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: NHD is an effective Chinese herbal preparation for treatment of SD, and its mechanism is related with its inhibition on peroxidative injury and protection on neurons.