Abstract: AIM: To observe the effects of gastrodin treatment on learning and memory of model rats with Alzheimer disease (AD) induced by intra-hippocampal Aβ_1-40 injection. METHODS: The AD rat model was established by injection of Aβ_1-40 into bilateral hippocampus, rats in sham group (n=7) was injected with saline, and normal group (n=10) without any treatment. The AD model rats in gastrodin group, huperzine A group and model group (n=8 each group), were administered by oral gavage of drugs or saline, respectively, for 4 weeks (q.d.). Then Morris water maze was used to examine the changes of learning and memory abilities in rats. RESULTS: The test of Morris water maze showed that the escape latency of place navigation trials in model group was significantly longer than normal or sham groups (P<0.01 or P<0.05). In comparison with model group, the escape latency in gastrodin group was significantly shorter (P<0.05), but the time in presumable plate quadrant of spatial probe trial was longer (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Gastrodin may have improving effect on the abilities of learning and memory of the model rats with AD induced by intra-hippocampal Aβ_1-40 injection.

Key words: Gastrodin, Alzheimer disease, Animal models, Maze learning