Effects of scopolamine on morphine-induced conditioned place preference in mice

It is well known that the cholinergic system plays a crucial role in learning and memory. Psychopharmacological studies in humans and animals have shown that a systemic cholinergic blockade may induce deficits in learning and memory. Accumulated studies h

Interaction of scopolamine and cholesterol with sphingomyelin bilayers by FT-Raman spectroscopy

The interaction of scopolamine and cholesterol with sphingomyelin bilayers has been investigated by FT-Raman spectroscopy in head-group region (600-1000 cm(-1)), the C-C stretching (1000-1200 cm(-1)), CH2 deformation (1400-1500 cm(-1)) and the C-H stretching (2800-3000 cm(-1)) mode regions. The results indicate that scopolamine and cholesterol do not change the conformation of O-C-C-N+ backbone in the choline group of sphingomyelin bilayers, the polar headgroup is still extending parallel to the bilayer surface and O-C-C-N+ group is still in its gauche conformer. Scopolamine and cholesterol lower the order of the interface, the interchain, CH2 crystal lattices and the lateral chain-chain packing, and increase their fluidity.

Effect of Co-administration of Morphine and Cholinergic Antagonists on Y-maze Spatial Recognition Memory Retrieval and Locomotor Activity in Mice

吗啡和胆碱能系统的相互作用已在多项研究中提到,本实验想查明吗啡是否能和胆碱能拮抗剂、东莨菪碱以及阿托品共同作用对小鼠的Y迷宫空间识别记忆提取产生影响.采用测试前腹腔给药的方法,选用3种剂量的吗啡(5、1.5、0.5mg/kg),两种剂量的东莨菪碱(1、0.1mg/kg),以及两种剂量的阿托品(0.5、0.1mg/kg),剂量由高到低相配对作为联合给药的手段.其结果表明:1)0.5mg/kg低剂量吗啡与0.1 mg/kg低剂量的东莨菪碱,或与0.1 mg/kg低剂最的阿托品联合给药的小鼠,在记忆提取测试中, 空间探查行为(各臂停留时间百分比)对新异臂没有偏好,而新奇探索行为(各臂访问次数百分比)仍保持了对新异臂的偏好,而相应剂最药物单独给药的小鼠记忆提取均没有被损害;2)吗啡能和东莨菪碱相互作用使小鼠的活动性显著增强.暗示吗啡和胆碱能拮抗剂对小鼠空间记忆提取的破坏存在一定程度的相互作用.

Long-term depression in rat CA1-subicular synapses depends on the G-protein coupled mACh receptors

The subiculum, which is the primary target of CA1 pyramidal neurons and sending efferent fibres to many brain regions, serves as a hippocampal interface in the neural information processes between hippocampal formation and neocortex. Long-term depression (LTD) is extensively studied in the hippocampus, but not at the CA1-subicular synaptic transmission. Using whole-cell EPSC recordings in the brain slices of young rats, we demonstrated that the pairing protocols of low frequency stimulation (LFS) at 3 Hz and postsynaptic depolarization of -50 mVelicited a reliable LTD in the subiculum. The LTD did not cause the changes of the paired-pulse ratio of EPSC. Furthermore, it did not depend on either NMDA receptors or voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs). Bath application of the G-protein coupled muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs) antagonists, atropine or scopolamine, blocked the LTD, suggesting that mAChRs are involved in the LTD. It was also completely blocked by either the Ca2+ chelator BAPTA or the G-protein inhibitor GDP-beta-S in the intracellular solution. This type of LTD in the subiculum may play a particular role in the neural information processing between the hippocampus and neocortex. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ireland Ltd and the Japan Neuroscience Society. All rights reserved.

Improving effects of huperzine A on spatial working memory in aged monkeys and young adult monkeys with experimental cognitive impairment

Our previous studies demonstrated that huperzine A, a reversible and selective acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, exerts beneficial effects on memory deficits in various rodent models of amnesia. To extend the antiamnesic action of huperzine A to nonhuman primates, huperzine A was evaluated for its ability to reverse the deficits in spatial memory produced by scopolamine in young adult monkeys or those that are naturally occurring in aged monkeys using a delayed-response task. Scopolamine, a muscarinic receptor antagonist, dose dependently impaired performance with the highest dose (0.03 mg/kg, i.m.) producing a significant reduction in choice accuracy in young adult monkeys. The delayed performance changed from an average of 26.8/30 trials correct on saline control to an average of 20.2/30 trials correct after scopolamine administration. Huperzine A (0.01-0.1 mg/kg, i.m.) significantly reversed deficits induced by scopolamine in young adult monkeys on a delayed-response task; performance after an optimal dose (0.1 mg/kg) averaged 25.0/30 correct. In four aged monkeys, huperzine A (0.001-0.01 mg/kg, i.m.) significantly increased choice accuracy from 20.5/30 on saline control to 25.2/30 at the optimal dose (0.001 mg/kg for two monkeys and 0.01 mg/kg for the other two monkeys). The beneficial effects of huperzine A on delayed-response performance were long lasting; monkeys remained improved for about 24 h after a single injection of huperzine A. This study extended the findings that huperzine A improves the mnemonic performance requiring working memory in monkeys, and suggests that huperzine A may be a promising agent for clinical therapy of cognitive impairments in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Comparative Study of Contents of Four Tropane Alkaloids in Cultural and Wild Anisodus tanguticus

To assess the medicinal value of cultural Anisodus tanguticus,the contents of four bioactive tropane alkaloids,anisodine,anisodamine,scopolamine and atropine,in cultural and wild materials were determined by the HPLC method.The results showed that content of each alkaloid in the aboveground parts of cultural and wild samples was lower than that in roots,and this explained why it was not the whole plant but the root that was used as medicinal materials.The content of each alkaloid in the roots of one-year cultural material was lower than that in the two-year plants.The discrepancy of the total of four alkaloids between one-year and wild plants is not significant.Moreover,the total of four alkaloids,and the contents of anisodine,scopolamine,and atropine in two-year plants were higher than those in wild plant.Thus there is medicinal value in the cultivated A.tanguticus as well as wild A.tanguticus,especially in the two-year cultural A.tanguticus.

山茛菪中4种生物碱含量与海拔关系的研究

山莨菪Anisodus tanguticus (Maxim.) Pascher系茄科植物，俗称樟柳参，藏医音译唐冲那保，山莨菪作为传统的藏药，具有麻醉、解痉、镇痛、镇静、解磷中毒等多种功效。其有效成分主要是托烷类生物碱，如东莨菪碱（scopolamine)、山莨菪碱（anisodamine)、阿托品（atropine)、樟柳碱(anisodine)等。研究4种托烷类生物碱含量随海拔的变化，对控制药用植物原料的质量、开发药用植物资源和生物资源可持续利用等均具有重要意义。为此我们对此进行了研究。