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Antiamnesic Effect of B. monniera on L-NNA Induced Amnesia Involves Calmodulin

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Abstract

Amnesia may result from ageing, chronic drug abuse or head injury and there are limited therapeutic strategies to such conditions. We have shown that Bacopa monniera, a memory enhancing drug can reverse both diazepam and scopolamine induced amnesia in mice. In order to understand the downstream effects of B. monniera, this study was designed to investigate how B. monniera antagonizes MK801, an NMDA receptor antagonist and N ω-Nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA), a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor. We compared the degree of reversal B. monniera imparts on MK801 and L-NNA induced anterograde amnesia in experimental mice. Our data revealed that L-NNA induced anterograde amnesia was significantly reversed by B. monniera, however, it did not attenuate the MK 801 induced anterograde amnesia. B. monniera significantly increased calmodulin (CaM) and pCREB/CREB levels when the whole brain lysates of B. monniera pretreated amnesic mice were compared with those of L-NNA treated mice. We conclude that antiamnesic effect B. monniera on L-NNA induced amnesia may be mediated by NO pathyway involving CaM, which is required for LTP sustenance. These studies evoke interest in their future development as potential antiamnesic drugs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neuroscience Research Lab, Department of Neurology, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Sector-12, Chandigarh, 160012, India

    Akshay Anand

  2. Neuroscience Research Lab, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Sector-12, Chandigarh, 160012, India

    Manish Kumar Saraf

  3. Internal Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA

    Manish Kumar Saraf

  4. Department of Neurology, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Sector-12, Chandigarh, 160012, India

    Sudesh Prabhakar

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  1. Akshay Anand
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  3. Sudesh Prabhakar
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Correspondence to Sudesh Prabhakar.

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Akshay Anand and Manish Kumar Saraf are equal authors.

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Anand, A., Saraf, M.K. & Prabhakar, S. Antiamnesic Effect of B. monniera on L-NNA Induced Amnesia Involves Calmodulin. Neurochem Res 35, 1172–1181 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11064-010-0171-x

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