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Huperzine A ameliorates cognitive deficits and oxidative stress in the hippocampus of rats exposed to acute hypobaric hypoxia.
- Source :
-
Neurochemical research [Neurochem Res] 2012 Sep; Vol. 37 (9), pp. 2042-52. Date of Electronic Publication: 2012 Jun 19. - Publication Year :
- 2012
-
Abstract
- Acute exposure to high altitudes can cause neurological dysfunction due to decreased oxygen availability to the brain. In this study, the protective effects of Huperzine A on cognitive deficits along with oxidative and apoptotic damage, due to acute hypobaric hypoxia, were investigated in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Rats were exposed to simulated hypobaric hypoxia at 6,000 m in a specially fabricated animal decompression chamber while receiving daily Huperzine A orally at the dose of 0.05 or 0.1 mg/kg body weight. After exposure to hypobaric hypoxia for 5 days, rats were trained in a Morris Water Maze for 5 consecutive days. Subsequent trials revealed Huperzine A supplementation at a dose of 0.1 mg/kg body weight restored spatial memory significantly, as evident from decreased escape latency and path length to reach the hidden platform, and the increase in number of times of crossing the former platform location and time spent in the former platform quadrant. In addition, after exposure to hypobaric hypoxia, animals were sacrificed and biomarkers of oxidative damage, such as reactive oxygen species, lipid peroxidation, lactate dehydrogenase activity, reduced glutathione, oxidized glutathione and superoxide dismutase were studied in the hippocampus. Expression levels of pro-apoptotic proteins (Bax, caspase-3) and anti-apoptotic protein (Bcl-2) of hippocampal tissues were evaluated by Western blotting. There was a significant increase in oxidative stress along with increased expression of apoptotic proteins in hypoxia exposed rats, which was significantly improved by oral Huperzine A at 0.1 mg/kg body weight. These results suggest that supplementation with Huperzine A improves cognitive deficits, reduces oxidative stress and inhibits the apoptotic cascade induced by acute hypobaric hypoxia.
- Subjects :
- Air Pressure
Animals
Behavior, Animal drug effects
Biomarkers
Blotting, Western
Decompression Sickness psychology
Glutathione metabolism
Hippocampus metabolism
Hypoxia, Brain metabolism
L-Lactate Dehydrogenase metabolism
Lipid Peroxidation drug effects
Male
Maze Learning drug effects
Memory drug effects
Psychomotor Performance drug effects
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Reactive Oxygen Species metabolism
Superoxide Dismutase metabolism
Alkaloids therapeutic use
Cognition Disorders drug therapy
Cognition Disorders psychology
Hippocampus drug effects
Hypoxia, Brain drug therapy
Hypoxia, Brain psychology
Neuroprotective Agents therapeutic use
Oxidative Stress drug effects
Sesquiterpenes therapeutic use
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1573-6903
- Volume :
- 37
- Issue :
- 9
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Neurochemical research
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 22711335
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s11064-012-0826-x