关键词: 芝麻素, 阿尔茨海默病, 学习记忆, 谷氨酸

Abstract:

AIM: To study the effect of sesamin on learning-memory ability and expression of glutamate (Glu) in hippocampus of rats with Alzheimer's disease.  METHODS: Forty normal SD rats were selected, ten for blank control group (NS 5.0 mL·kg^-1·d^-1). The rest were induced by intragastric administration of aluminium trichloride (AlCl3, 15 mg·kg^-1·d^-1) combined with intraperitoneal injection of D-galactose (D-gal, 180 mg·kg^-1·d^-1) for 20 weeks. After twelve weeks, rats were subsequently randomized into AD model group (NS 5.0 mL·kg^-1·d^-1), sesamin low dose group（80 mg·kg^-1·d^-1）, sesamin high dose group (160 mg·kg^-1·d^-1) (n=10). After eight consecutive weeks of drug administration, Morris water maze was used to test the learning-memory ability of rats. Immunohistochemical staining was used to determine the expression of Glu protein in hippocampal neurons. Western blot method was used to detect the expression of Glu in hippocampus. RESULTS: Sesamin can reduce the escape latency of AD rat, while increase the platform crossing numbers, improve their learning-memory ability, and reduce the positive cells and protein expression of Glu at the same time. CONCLUSION: Sesamin can reduce the expression of Glu by antagonizing Glu receptor and decrease neural excitatory toxicity, thus improving the learning-memory ability of alzheimer's disease rats.

Key words: sesamin, Alzheimer's disease, learning-memory, glutamate