Abstract
The effects of the oriental herbal medicine Saenghyetang(SHT, 生慧湯), which consists of Rehmanniae Radix (熟地黃 九蒸: was made by 9th steam) 40g, Corni Fructus(山茱黃) 16g, Polygalae Radix(遠志) 8g, Zizyphi Spinosae Semen(酸棗仁) 2g, Biotae Semen(柏子仁 去油: oil ingredient was removed) 20g, Poria Cocos(茯笭) 12g, Ginseng Radix(人蔘) 12g, Acori Graminei Rhizoma(石菖蒲) 2g, Sinapis Semen(白芥子) 8g, on learning ability and memory were investigated. Hot water extract(HWE) and ethanol extract(EE) from SHT were used for the studies. Learning ability and memory are related to modifications of synaptic strength among neurons that interactive. Enhanced synaptic coincidence detection leads to improved learning ability and memory. If the NMDA receptor, a synaptic coincidence detector, acts as a graded switch for memory formations, enhanced signal detection by NMDA receptors should enhance learning ability and memory. It was shown that NR2B was increased in the forebrains of oriental medicine-administrated mice, leading to enhanced activation of NMDA receptors and facilitating synaptic potentiation in response to stimulation at 10-100 Hz. These HWE-SHT treated mice exhibited that superior ability in learning and memory when performing various behavioral tasks, showing that NR2B is enhanced by HWE-SHT treatment and also is critical in gating the age-dependent threshold for plasticity and memory formation. NMDA receptor-dependent modifications, which were mediated in part by HWE administration, of synaptic efficacy, therefore, represent a mechanism for associative learning ability and memory. Results suggest that oriental medical enhancement of NR2B contributes to increase intelligence and memory in mammals On the other hand, to examine the effects of EE-SHT on the learning ability and memory in experimental mice, EE-SHT was tested on passive and active avoidance responses. The EE-SHT ameliorated the memory retrieval deficit induced by ethanol in mice, but not other memory impairments. EE-SHT(10, 20mg/100 g, p.o.) did not affect the passive avoidance responses of normal mice in the step through and step down tests, the conditioned and unconditioned avoidance responses of normal mice in the shuttle box, lever press performance tests and the ambulatory activity of normal mice in a normal condition. However, EE-SHT at 20 mg/kg significantly decrease the spontaneous motor activity during the shuttle box test, and also to extend the sleeping time induced by pentobarbital in mice. These results suggest that SHT has an ameliorating effect on memory retrieval impairments and a weak tranquilizing action.
