[Effects of extracts of Ginseng and Ginkgo biloba on hippocampal acetylcholine and monoamines in PDAP-pV717I transgenic mice].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects and its possible mechanism of Naoweikang (NWK), a composite of ginseng and ginkgo extracts, on hippocampal neurotransmitters in APP transgenic mice.
METHODS: P-DAPPV717I transgenic mice were taken as the model of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and be treated with different doses of NWK (31 mg/kg and 62 mg/kg) respectively by gastrogavage once per day for 12 weeks. Contents of hippocampal acetylcholine (ACh), monoamine neurotransmitters and their metabolites were determined with high performance liquid chromatography.
RESULTS: Compared with nontransgenic mice, the levels of ACh and 5-HIAA in hippocampus of transgenic mice lowered significantly (P < 0.01), while 5-HT increased significantly (P < 0.05), and the levels of norepinephrine and dopamine increased by 14.6% and 17.7%, respectively. After 12-week administration, the ACh level increased significantly in the two NWK treated groups (P<0.05), and the 5-HT level in the high dose NWK treated group decreased (P<0.05), as compared with those in the untreated transgenic mice.
CONCLUSION: NWK shows a significant regulatory effect on the activities of hippocampal acetylcholine and monoamine system, especially the cholinergic and 5-HT systems, in APP transgenic mice, which might be one of its mechanisms in improving learning and memory of AD model, and therefore, NWK might exert certain curative effect on AD.