Effect of Daicong solution on hippocampal muscarinic receptors 1 and 3 gene expression in a rat model of Alzheimer's disease

Hongyan Wang; Shumei Zhao; Qi'an Yue; Lefa Yan; Ying Gong; Rui Ji; Jingzong Gao

摘要：BACKGROUND:It has been previously shown that the muscarinic(M)receptor is involved in brain arousal and selective attention,mood,and motor coordination.OBJECTIVE:To explore the effects of various intragastric Daicong doses on hippocampal M1 and M3 receptor gene expression in a rat model of Alzheimer's disease.DESIGN,TIME AND SETTING:A randomized cellular and molecular biology experiment,conducted at the Molecular Immunology Laboratory in Shandong bctween October 2006 and April 2007.MATERIALS:Fifty 22-month old Sprague Dawley rats,weighing 250-300 g were used for this experiment.Kainic acid was used to lesion the nucleus basalis to establish a rat model of Alzheimer's disease.The components of Daicong solution were as follows:ginseng,rehmannia dride rhizome,anemarrhena,and radix astragali.The solution was provided by the Affiliated Hospital to Weifang Medical College,according to preparation techniques of extracting liquid for traditional Chinese medicine(1 g crude drug/mL solution).Kainic acid was provided by Professor Xiuyan Li at Weifang Medical College.METHODS:The rats were randomly divided into 5 groups,10 rats in each group.Four groups were used for model establishment.and the fifth group served as a normal control group.Three of the model groups were intragastrically administered 5,10,and 20 g/kg/d Daicong solution,and an additional model group and nonnal control group received normal saline(10 mL/kg/d).Drugs were administered over a time period of one month.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:Four days after model establishment,Morris water maze was used to measure learning and memory capabilities.RT-PCR was used to detect the effect of Daicong solution on mRNA expression of M1 and M3 receptor in the hippocampus of all groups.RESULTS:Fifty rats were included in the final analysis,without any loss.M1 and M3 receptor mRNA expression was decreased in the model group,compared to the normal control group(P<0.05).Upon Daicong administration(10 g/kg/d and 20 g/kg/d),M1 and M3 receptor mRNA expression significantly increased in the hippocampus,compared to the model group(P<0.05).M1 and M3 mRNA expression was greatest in the 10 g/kg/d group.CONCLUSION:A 10 g/kg/d solution of Daicong can improve M1 and M3 receptor mRNA expression in the hippocampus of a rat model of Alzheimer's disease.