Abstract
Chronic cerebral hypoperfusion (CCH) is a common phenomenon in many neurological diseases such as vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Several drugs have been investigated to prevent and treat the CCH. The carvacrol (CAR) has been shown to have beneficial effects on various neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders. Accordingly, the present study was designed to evaluate the effect of CAR on neuronal damages in hippocampus in a well-defined model for CCH. Forty-eight male Wistar rats were equally divided into four groups of sham (A), CCH (B), CCH+ CAR 25, and 50 mg/kg/daily (C and D). The animals were subjected to permanent bilateral occlusion of the carotid arteries (2-vessel occlusion, 2VO) to induce CCH model. Cognitive function was evaluated by Morris water maze test. Morphological changes of hippocampus were assessed using Nissl staining. Free radical scavenging activity was measured by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. Moreover, catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities and lipid peroxidation levels were measured using biochemical analysis. CAR significantly improved the spatial learning and memory deficits assessed using the Morris water maze test. CAR also significantly attenuated neuronal necrosis as well as malondialdehyde (MDA) and elevated the levels of SOD and CAT activity in the hippocampus. The results indicate that CAR produces significant neuroprotective effects on neuronal damages induced by CCH. Protective effect of CAR may be mediated by antioxidative effect of this drug.
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The information contained in this article was extracted from a master’s thesis by the author, Azadeh Shahrokhi Racini, student of medical physiology.
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This work was funded by the Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences and Health Services (grant no. IR.SSU.MEDICINE.REC.1396-141)
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ZF, SA, and RM designed the research. SA, AF, and HZ performed these experiments. SF and RM analyzed data and ZF wrote this article and supervised the research.
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All animal tests and experimental stages were approved by Ethics Committee of Yazd University of Medical Science which is in accordance with the US National Institutes of Health Publication guide for the care and use of laboratory animals. The ethics code that has been recorded in the ethics committee is IR.SSU.MEDICINE.REC.1396-141.
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This article is the result of a master’s thesis by the author, Azadeh Shahrokhi Racini, student of medical physiology. She has received research grants from Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences and Health Services. The authors declare they have no conflict of interest.
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Shahrokhi Raeini, A., Hafizibarjin, Z., Rezvani, M.E. et al. Carvacrol suppresses learning and memory dysfunction and hippocampal damages caused by chronic cerebral hypoperfusion. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch Pharmacol 393, 581–589 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00210-019-01754-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00210-019-01754-8