a Research Center for Pharmacology & Toxicology , Institute of Medicinal Plant Development (IMPLAD), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College , Beijing , China.
b Division of Stem Cell Regulation and Application , Hunan University of Chinese Medicine , Changsha , China.
Nutr Neurosci. 2019 Apr;22(4):235-242. doi: 10.1080/1028415X.2017.1373928. Epub 2017 Sep 15.
Chronic stress exposure can disrupt the balance of organisms, result in learning and memory impairments and induce oxidative stress. However, there is a lack of safe and effective long-term therapeutic agents for stress-related injuries. Fresh ginseng (FG), an unprocessed raw root of ginseng, has antioxidant and neuroprotective activities and has been used as functional health food in Asian countries for many years. The aim of this study was to verify the protective effects of FG on chronic restraint stress (CRS)-induced learning and memory impairments as well as oxidative stress damage in mice.
Animals were subjected to object location recognition test (OLRT) and novel object recognition test (NORT) to evaluate discriminative ability and spatial learning and memory, and Morris water maze test (MWMT) was used to evaluate the acquisition and retention of spatial memory. In addition, oxidative stress parameters were assessed by measuring the malondialdehyde (MDA) and total antioxidant reactivity levels in serum.
Experimental results demonstrated that CRS-induced mice exhibited significantly decreased discrimination index (DI) in OLRT and NORT, longer escape latency and swimming distance, and decreased crossing numbers in MWMT. FG (2 and 6 g/kg) treatment markedly enhanced the discriminative ability by elevating DI in OLRT and NORT, improved the acquisition and retention of spatial memory by decreasing escape latency and swimming distance in the acquisition phase, and increased the crossing numbers in the probe phase of MWMT. Administration of FG (2 and 6 g/kg) significantly reduced the elevated MDA level caused by CRS.
Our results suggest that FG treatment could improve CRS-induced learning and memory impairments and oxidative stress damage. FG is an intriguing therapeutic agent and functional health food in stress-related dementia.
慢性应激暴露会破坏机体平衡，导致学习和记忆障碍，并诱发氧化应激。然而，目前缺乏安全有效的治疗应激相关损伤的长期药物。鲜人参（FG）是未经加工的生晒参，具有抗氧化和神经保护作用，多年来一直被亚洲国家用作功能性保健品。本研究旨在验证 FG 对慢性束缚应激（CRS）诱导的学习和记忆障碍以及氧化应激损伤的保护作用。
动物进行物体位置识别测试（OLRT）和新物体识别测试（NORT），以评估辨别能力和空间学习记忆，Morris 水迷宫测试（MWMT）用于评估空间记忆的获得和保留。此外，通过测量血清中丙二醛（MDA）和总抗氧化反应性水平来评估氧化应激参数。
实验结果表明，CRS 诱导的小鼠在 OLRT 和 NORT 中表现出明显降低的辨别指数（DI），MWMT 中潜伏期和游泳距离延长，穿越次数减少。FG（2 和 6 g/kg）治疗可通过提高 OLRT 和 NORT 中的 DI 显著增强辨别能力，通过降低获得阶段的潜伏期和游泳距离来改善空间记忆的获得和保留，并增加 MWMT 探测阶段的穿越次数。FG（2 和 6 g/kg）治疗可显著降低 CRS 引起的 MDA 水平升高。
我们的结果表明，FG 治疗可改善 CRS 诱导的学习和记忆障碍及氧化应激损伤。FG 是一种很有前途的应激相关痴呆治疗药物和功能性保健品。
