Beril Kadıoğlu Yaman1, Özge Çevik2, Kübra Yalman1, Büşra Ertaş3, Ali Şen4, Göksel Şener5. 1. Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Yeditepe University, TR-34755 Kayışdağı, Istanbul, Turkey. 2. Department of Biochemistry, Adnan Menderes University, School of Medicine, Aydın 09100, Turkey. 3. Marmara University, School of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacology, Istanbul, Turkey. 4. Marmara University, School of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacognosy, Istanbul, Turkey. 5. Marmara University, School of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacology, Istanbul, Turkey. Electronic address: gsener@marmara.edu.tr.
Abstract
AIM: The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible effects of Myrtus communis subsp. communis (MC) on cognitive impairment in ovariectomized diabetic rats. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 5 groups consisting of 15 rats each; Control (C), Diabetes (D), Ovariectomy and diabetes (OVX + D), Ovariectomy, diabetes and donepezil (OVX + D + Don), Ovariectomy, diabetes and Myrtus communis subsp. communis (OVX + D + MC). Blood glucose measurements were made at the beginning and end of the experiments. The animals underwent the novel object recognition test (NORT) and their performance was evaluated. In hippocampal tissues; amyloid beta (Aβ) and neprilysin levels, acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activities, polysialylated neural cell adhesion molecule (PSA-NCAM), α7 subunit of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7-nAChR) and brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene expressions were examined. RESULTS: Animals with ovariectomy and diabetes showed increased levels of blood glucose, AChE activity and Aβ levels, and decreased neprilysin levels, ChAT activity, α7-nAChR, PSA-NCAM and BDNF gene expressions in parallel with a decrease in NORT performance score. On the other hand, in the MC-treated OVX + D group, there was a significant decrease observed in blood glucose levels and AChE activities while there was improvement in NORT performances and an increase in hippocampal ChAT activity, neprilysin levels, α7-nAChR, PSA-NCAM and BDNF expressions. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that MC extract could improve cognitive and neuronal functions with its anticholinesterase and antihyperglycemic properties.
AIM: The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible effects of Myrtus communis subsp. communis (MC) on cognitive impairment in ovariectomized diabeticrats. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 5 groups consisting of 15 rats each; Control (C), Diabetes (D), Ovariectomy and diabetes (OVX + D), Ovariectomy, diabetes and donepezil (OVX + D + Don), Ovariectomy, diabetes and Myrtus communis subsp. communis (OVX + D + MC). Blood glucose measurements were made at the beginning and end of the experiments. The animals underwent the novel object recognition test (NORT) and their performance was evaluated. In hippocampal tissues; amyloid beta (Aβ) and neprilysin levels, acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activities, polysialylated neural cell adhesion molecule (PSA-NCAM), α7 subunit of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7-nAChR) and brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene expressions were examined. RESULTS: Animals with ovariectomy and diabetes showed increased levels of blood glucose, AChE activity and Aβ levels, and decreased neprilysin levels, ChAT activity, α7-nAChR, PSA-NCAM and BDNF gene expressions in parallel with a decrease in NORT performance score. On the other hand, in the MC-treated OVX + D group, there was a significant decrease observed in blood glucose levels and AChE activities while there was improvement in NORT performances and an increase in hippocampal ChAT activity, neprilysin levels, α7-nAChR, PSA-NCAM and BDNF expressions. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that MC extract could improve cognitive and neuronal functions with its anticholinesterase and antihyperglycemic properties.