Wh. Peng et al., EFFECT OF LONG-TERM ADMINISTRATION OF BERBERINE ON SCOPOLAMINE-INDUCED AMNESIA IN RATS, Japanese Journal of Pharmacology, 74(3), 1997, pp. 261-266
The effect of berberine (BER) on scopolamine (SCOP)-induced amnesia wa
s investigated in a step-through passive avoidance task in rats. It wa
s observed that BER at the doses of 0.1 and 0.5 g/kg after 7-day or 14
-day administration significantly improved SCOP-induced amnesia. The a
nti-amnesic effect of BER after 14-day administration on the SCOP-indu
ced amnesia was significantly augmented by physostigmine or neostigmin
e, and completely reversed by scopolamine N-methylbromide. These resul
ts suggest that the antiamnesic effect of BER after 14-day administrat
ion may be related to the increase in the peripheral and central choli
nergic neuronal system activity.