Effects of puerarin on D-galactose-induced memory deficits in mice.

AIM

To study the effects of puerarin on learning-memory behavior in aging mice induced by D-galactose and to explore in-brain mechanism of its effects.

METHODS

The aging mice model were induced by sc D-galactose 0.12 g/kg daily for 6 weeks and meanwhile treated with three doses of puerarin once a day for 6 weeks. The spontaneous behavior and the learning-memory behavior were tested for the aging mice using open field and Y-maze on the day after the last treatment. Then the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA) and lipofuscin in brain tissue were measured using UV-photospectrometer and fluorospectrophotometer analysis system.

RESULTS

Compared with the D-galactose control group, puerarin 60 mg/kg was shown to increase significantly the spontaneous behavior and explorative response in the open field and improve remarkably the learning-memory ability of the aging mice induced by D-galactose. The percentage of memory retention increased from 69 %+/-9 % to 79 %+/-6 %. Puerarin 30 mg/kg and 60 mg/kg promoted remarkably the activity of SOD in the brain of the aging mice from (12.1+/-2.9) to (14.9+/-2.1) and(15.5+/-2.7) U/g wet brain weight, respectively, and decreased significantly the content of lipofuscin from (27+/-5) to (20+/-4) and (20+/-4) microg/g wet brain weight, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Puerarin could improve the memory dysfunction produced by D-galactose. Improvement of the antioxidase activity of brain in the aging mice may be involved in this effect.