EGG PHOSPHATIDYLCHOLINE COMBINED WITH VITAMIN-B-12 IMPROVED MEMORY IMPAIRMENT FOLLOWING LESIONING OF NUCLEUS BASALIS IN RATS

We investigated the effects of egg phosphatidylcholine (PC) combined w ith vitamin B-12 On memory in the Morris water maze task, and on choli ne and acetylcholine (ACh) concentrations in the brain of rats. Animal s with nucleus basalis Magnocellularis (NBM) lesion received intragast ric administration of egg PC or vitamin B-12;, or both for 18 days. Me mory acquisition and retention were remarkably impaired in NBM lesione d rats compared with in sham-operated control. NBM lesioned group had lower choline and ACh concentrations than control group in the frontal cortex. High dose of egg PC alone significantly increased choline con centration, but did not change ACh concentration in the frontal cortex . High dose of vitamin B-12 alone did not change choline and ACh conce ntrations in the brain. Either egg PC or vitamin B-12 did not improve memory acquisition and retention. However, low dose of egg PC combined with vitamin Bit significantly increased ACh concentration and improv ed memory acquisition and retention in the NBM lesioned rats. We concl uded that egg PC combined with vitamin B-12 improved the memory impair ment of NBM lesioned rats through the action on the cholinergic neuron s.