Effects of butternut squash extract on dentate gyrus cell proliferation and spatial learning in male adult rats  

作　　者：Mohsen Marzban Sara Soleimani Asl Hassan Fallah Huseini Mahdi Tondar Samira Choopani Mehdi Mehdizadeh 

机构地区：[1]M.Sc of Anatomical Sciences,Tehran University of Medical Sciences [2]Anatomical Department,Medicine Faculty,Hamedan University of Medical Sciences [3]Institute of Medicinal Plants,Jihad University (ACECR),Tehran [4]Young Researcher Club,Tehran [5]Physiological & Pharmacological Department,Pasture Institute,Tehran [6]Research Institute for Islamic and Complementary Medicine (RICM),Tehran University of Medical Sciences,Tehran [7]Anatomical Department,Medicine Faculty,Tehran University of Medical Sciences,Tehran

出　　处：《Neural Regeneration Research》2011年第24期1855-1859,共5页中国神经再生研究（英文版）

基　　金：a grant from the Research Institute for Islamic and Complementary Medicine (RICM),Tehran University of Medical Sciences,No. p26/m/t/1088

摘　　要：Previous studies reported that some plants, including butternut squash, exert positive effects on the brain. However, few studies have examined the effects of butternut squash on learning, memory, and neurogenesis. This study studied the effects of butternut squash extract on spatial learning and cell proliferation in the dentate gyrus of healthy male rats. Thirty-five male Wistar rats were intraperitoneally injected with 0, 50, 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg butternut squash extract once daily for 2 months. After the last administration, rat＇s spatial memory was studied using the Morris water maze. Finally, rats were sacrificed and hippocampal sections were prepared for light microscopy and bromodeoxyuridine immunohistochemistry studies. The results revealed that escape latency and swim distance decreased in all treatment groups compared with the control rats, and that the number of bromodeoxyuridine-positive cells in the dentate gyrus was significantly increased in the treatment groups compared with the controls. These findings suggest that butternut squash extract improves the learning and memory abilities of male rats, and increases the proliferation of dentate gyrus cells.Previous studies reported that some plants, including butternut squash, exert positive effects on the brain. However, few studies have examined the effects of butternut squash on learning, memory, and neurogenesis. This study studied the effects of butternut squash extract on spatial learning and cell proliferation in the dentate gyrus of healthy male rats. Thirty-five male Wistar rats were intraperitoneally injected with 0, 50, 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg butternut squash extract once daily for 2 months. After the last administration, rat＇s spatial memory was studied using the Morris water maze. Finally, rats were sacrificed and hippocampal sections were prepared for light microscopy and bromodeoxyuridine immunohistochemistry studies. The results revealed that escape latency and swim distance decreased in all treatment groups compared with the control rats, and that the number of bromodeoxyuridine-positive cells in the dentate gyrus was significantly increased in the treatment groups compared with the controls. These findings suggest that butternut squash extract improves the learning and memory abilities of male rats, and increases the proliferation of dentate gyrus cells.

关 键 词：butternut squash spatial learning and memory cell proliferation dentate gyrus 

分 类 号：R285[医药卫生—中药学]