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DOI: 10.1055/s-2001-10631
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York
Reversal Caused by n-Butylidenephthalide from the Deficits of Inhibitory Avoidance Performance in Rats
Publication History
January 6, 2000
July 2, 2000
Publication Date:
31 December 2001 (online)
![](https://www.thieme-connect.de/media/plantamedica/200101/lookinside/thumbnails/10.1055-s-2001-10631-1.jpg)
Abstract
The present study was designed to investigate the mechanism of action of n-butylidenephthalide on the deficits of inhibitory avoidance performance induced by drugs in rats with piracetam as a positive control. n-Butylidenephthalide attenuated the scopolamine-induced and mecamylamine-induced acquisition impairment, and also attenuated the acquisition impairment induced by scopolamine plus mecamylamine. Furthermore, scopolamine methylbromide, a peripheral cholinergic muscarinic receptor antagonist, did not block the counteracting effect of n-butylidenephthalide on the scopolamine-induced acquisition impairment. n-Butylidenephthalide attenuated the impairment of inhibitory avoidance performance induced by the central acetylcholinergic neurotoxin AF64A administered intracisternally. From the above results, we suggest that n-butylidenephthalide attenuated the deficits of inhibitory avoidance performance induced by drugs, which are the effects related to activating the central but not the peripheral cholinergic neuronal system via muscarinic and nicotinic receptors.
Key words
n-Butylidenephthalide - Angelica sinensis - Apiaceae - inhibitory avoidance task - scopolamine - mecamylamine - AF64A
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Dr. Ming-Tsuen Hsieh
Institute of Chinese Pharmaceutical Sciences
China Medical College
91, Hsieh Shih Road
Taichung
Taiwan, R.O.C.
Email: rei106@tcts1.seed.net.tw
Fax: 886-4-2053958