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Aqueous extract of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) improves the spatial performance of a rat model of Alzheimer’s disease

薰衣草水提取物能改善阿尔茨海默大鼠的空间学习和记忆能力

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Abstract

Objective

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is one of the most important neurodegenerative disorders. It is characterized by dementia including deficits in learning and memory. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of aqueous extract of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) on spatial performance of AD rats.

Methods

Male Wistar rats were first divided into control and AD groups. Rat model of AD was established by intracerebroventricular injection of 10 μg Aβ1–42 20 d prior to administration of the lavender extract. Rats in both groups were then introduced to 2 stages of task learning (with an interval of 20 d) in Morris water maze, each followed by one probe test. After the first stage of spatial learning, control and AD animals received different doses (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg) of the lavender extract.

Results

In the first stage of experiment, the latency to locate the hidden platform in AD group was significantly higher than that in control group. However, in the second stage of experiment, control and AD rats that received distilled water (vehicle) showed similar performance, indicating that the maze navigation itself could improve the spatial learning of AD animals. Besides, in the second stage of experiment, control and AD rats that received lavender extract administration at different doses (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg) spent less time locating the platform (except for the AD rats with 50 mg/kg extract treatment), as compared with their counterparts with vehicle treatment, respectively. In addition, lavender extract significantly improved the performance of control and AD rats in the probe test, only at the dose of 200 mg/kg, as compared with their counterparts with vehicle treatment.

Conclusion

The lavender extract can effectively reverse spatial learning deficits in AD rats.

摘要

目的

阿尔茨海默病(Alzheimer’s disease, AD)是主要的神经退行性疾病之一, 其特征主要表现为痴呆, 包括学习与记忆的衰退。 本研究旨在探索薰衣草(唇形科, 薰衣草属)水提取物对AD大鼠空间学习和记忆的影响。

方法

Wistar大鼠分为对照组和AD 组, 通过给大鼠脑室注射10 μg Aβ1–42 建立AD模型。 20天后, 两组大鼠进行为期 5天的水迷宫空间记忆采集实验(每天4次), 紧接着进行一次空间探索实验。 实验结束后, 分别给予AD组和对照组大鼠不同剂量的薰衣草水提取物(50、 100、 200 mg/kg) 或 0.4 mL/kg 蒸馏水, 每天一次共20天。 随后, 重复上述水迷宫实验。

结果

在水迷宫实验的第一阶段, AD组大鼠找到平台的潜伏期显著高于对照组大鼠, 而在第二阶段, 接受蒸馏水注射的对照和AD大鼠找到平台的潜伏期没有差异, 说明水迷宫运动本身能提高AD大鼠的空间学习能力。 在第二阶段空间记忆采集实验中, 与接受蒸馏水注射的同类大鼠相比, 接受薰衣草水提取物注射的对照和AD大鼠找到平台的潜伏期显著降低。 此外, 200 mg/kg 薰衣草水提取物能显著提高对照和AD大鼠的空间探索能力。

结论

薰衣草水提取物能有效逆转AD 大鼠空间学习功能的损伤。

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Proteomics Research Center, Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Masoud Soheili Kashani & Mostafa Rezaei Tavirani

  2. Physiology Research Center, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran

    Sayyed Alireza Talaei & Mahmoud Salami

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  1. Masoud Soheili Kashani
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  2. Mostafa Rezaei Tavirani
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  3. Sayyed Alireza Talaei
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  4. Mahmoud Salami
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Correspondence to Mahmoud Salami.

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Kashani, M.S., Tavirani, M.R., Talaei, S.A. et al. Aqueous extract of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) improves the spatial performance of a rat model of Alzheimer’s disease. Neurosci. Bull. 27, 99–106 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12264-011-1149-7

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