This study investigated the effects of Seungnoidan (SND), which has been widely used as a remedy for cerebroneuronal diseases in Korean folk medicine, on the cerebrocortical adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and acetylcholine (ACh) contents in ovariectomized (OVX) rats. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were ovariectomized and maintained for 12 weeks to deplete ovarian steroid hormones, followed by oral administration of SND at 500 mg/kg/day for 14 weeks. SND markedly attenuated the high rate of body weight increase in OVX rats, and also reduced the decline of cerebral weight caused by ovariectomy (p < 0.05). Superfusion of SND at 50 mg/kg significantly increased the rate of cerebral blood fl ow, but did not change the mean arterial blood pressure. Deprivation of ovarian steroid hormones significantly decreased the cerebral ATP, choline and ACh contents, and these reductions were reduced by treatment of OVX rats with SND (p < 0.01). Additionally, SND also significantly elevated the cerebral choline acetyltransferase activities reduced by OVX (p < 0.01). Taken together, these results suggest that the pharmacological properties of SND may be implicated in the improvement of metabolic pathways of cerebral energy and cholinergic neurotransmitter function induced by deprivation of ovarian steroid hormones, and SND may be a promising herbal remedy for treatment of cerebral dysfunctions including dementia.
Copyright 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.