« Back to Farmacia Journal 1/2022

THE THERAPEUTICAL POTENTIAL OF GABAPENTIN COMBINED WITH DIOSCOREA OPPOSITA THUNB EXTRACTS ON A MURINE MODEL OF VASCULAR DEMENTIA BY MODULATING P2RX7 RECEPTORS

TANA ZHAO 1#, SHANGJUN CHEN 2#, LUDAN YUAN 2, DONGLIANG CAI 2*

Download Full Article PDF

This paper aimed to investigate the therapeutically effect of gabapentin (GBP) combined with Dioscorea opposita Thunb extracts (DOTE) on vascular dementia (VD) and the underlying mechanism related to P2X7 receptor (P2RX7) modulation using a murine model. Sixty Wistar rats were randomly divided into normal group, model group, GBP group, DOTE group, and GBP + DOTE group, 12 animals per group. The VD rat model was obtained by repeatedly clipping the bilateral common carotid artery - reperfusion method. The Morris water maze test was used to evaluate animal behaviour, and qPCR was used to detect the change of P2RX7 protein expression in hippocampal tissues. The results showed that compared with the normal group, the elusive incubation period of the rats in the model group was significantly prolonged, and the number crossing the original platform quadrant was significantly reduced. Compared with the model group, the GBP group, the DOTE group, and the GBP + DOTE group, all had significantly shortened escape latency and significantly increased the number of passes through the original platform quadrant, with the GBP + DOTE group having the shortest escape latency and the most access through the original platform quadrant. The treatment significantly decreased the morphological changes observed in the model group and downregulated the P2X7R expression, the effect being superior in the GBP + DOTE group. In conclusion, GBP combined with DOTE extract can improve VD rats' learning and memory ability and protect neuronal cells.