Abstract

Guibi-tang (GBT) is a multi-herbal medicinal formula that has been used to treat amnesia in the traditional Korean medicine system for hundreds of years. In this study, we investigated the effects of GBT on learning and memory function in Wistar rats by using the foot shock passive avoidance test. In addition, cell proliferation was examined using 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU) uptake and immunostaining in the dentate gyrus of the rat hippocampus after oral administration of GBT. In the passive avoidance test, the retention time of the GBT-treated group was significantly longer (almost 2.5-fold) than that of the control group. The number of BrdU-immunoreactive cells in the dentate gyrus was significantly higher in the GBT-treated group (almost twofold) than in the control group. These results suggest that administration of GBT to rats not only improves learning and memory but also increases the proliferation of cells in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. © 2005 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Author keywords

Cell proliferation; Dentate gyrus; Guibi-tang; Learning and memory; Passive avoidance test

Indexed keywords

EMTREE drug terms: herbaceous agent

EMTREE medical terms: Angelica sinensis; animal experiment; article; Astragalus membranaceus; Atractylodes; cell proliferation; controlled study; dentate gyrus; Euphoria longan; ginseng; Glycyrrhiza uralensis; hippocampus; immunohistochemistry; immunoreactivity; jujube; learning; long term memory; male; medicinal plant; memory; nonhuman; passive avoidance; polygala tenuifolia; Polygalaceae; poria cocos; priority journal; rat; Saussurea; shock; statistical significance

MeSH: Animals; Avoidance Learning; Behavior, Animal; Bromodeoxyuridine; Cell Count; Cell Proliferation; Hippocampus; Immunohistochemistry; Male; Memory; Plant Preparations; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Reaction Time
Medline is the source for the MeSH terms of this document.

Chemicals and CAS Registry Numbers: Bromodeoxyuridine, 59-14-3; Plant Preparations