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Cordyceps Militaris improves neurite outgrowth in Neuro2A cells and reverses memory impairment in rats

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of Cordyceps militaris (CM) on neurite outgrowth in Neuro2A mouse neuroblastoma cells and scopolamineinduced learning and memory deficits in rats. Pretreatment with CM (5–20 μg/mL) for 1 h was sufficient to stimulate primary neurite sprouting and extension of Neuro2A cells after 24 h cultivation in a dose-dependent manner. The CM also increased choline acetyltransferase expression in differentiated Neuro2A cells. Administration of CM significantly reversed the scopolamine-induced deficit in memory, and it alleviated decrease in cholinergic immunoreactivity in the hippocampus. Our results demonstrated that in vitro neuritogenesis of Neuro2A cell lines by CM constitutes a potential clue that could help to explain in vivo improvement of memory functions using the behavioral tasks. These results suggest that CM is strongly effective in protecting against memory-related neuronal degeneration in the brain and retarding the progression of memory deficits associated with various neurodegenerative diseases.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Acupuncture and Meridian Science Research Center, College of Oriental Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, 130-701, Korea

    Bombi Lee, Jongbong Park, Mijung Yeom, Myunghwan Kim, Hyejung Lee & Dae-Hyun Hahm

  2. The Graduate School of Basic Science of Oriental Medicine, College of Oriental Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, 130-701, Korea

    Jinhee Park, Sunoh Kwon, Bongjun Sur, Sunghun Kim, Hyejung Lee & Dae-Hyun Hahm

  3. Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Chosun University, Gwangju, 501-759, Korea

    Hyun-Jae Shin

  4. Division of Innovative Technology Research, Korea Food Research Institute, Seongnam, Gyeonggi, 463-746, Korea

    Suk Hoo Yoon

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  1. Bombi Lee
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  2. Jongbong Park
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  3. Jinhee Park
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  4. Hyun-Jae Shin
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  8. Sunghun Kim
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  9. Myunghwan Kim
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  10. Hyejung Lee
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  12. Dae-Hyun Hahm
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Correspondence to Dae-Hyun Hahm.

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Lee, B., Park, J., Park, J. et al. Cordyceps Militaris improves neurite outgrowth in Neuro2A cells and reverses memory impairment in rats. Food Sci Biotechnol 20, 1599–1608 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10068-011-0221-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10068-011-0221-4

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