Cinepazide Maleate Improves Cognitive Function and Protects Hippocampal Neurons in Diabetic Rats with Chronic Cerebral Hypoperfusion

Biol Pharm Bull. 2017 Mar 1;40(3):249-255. doi: 10.1248/bpb.b16-00567. Epub 2016 Dec 17.

Abstract

To determine the combined effect of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and chronic cerebral hypoperfusion (CCH) on learning and spatial memory, we developed a rat model of CCH by permanent occlusion of bilateral common carotid arteries (2-vessel occlusion (2VO)) in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed rats injected with low-dose streptozotocin (STZ). Furthermore, we examined the effect of cinepazide maleate (CM) on cognitive deficits and brain damage in this rat model. Rats were maintained on HFD for 6 weeks and then injected with 35 mg/kg STZ to induce T2D. Sham or 2VO surgery was performed in non-diabetic or diabetic (DM) rats to obtain four groups: blank, DM, CCH, and DM-CCH groups. Cognitive function was tested by the Morris water maze (MWM) test. To determine the effects of the vasodilator cinepazide maleate (CM) on cognitive deficits and brain damage, DM-CCH rats were administered with 10 mg/kg CM or saline daily for 14 d. Neuronal damage in DM-CCH rats was associated with increased expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and β-secretase 1 (BACE1), but decreased expression of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT). Moreover, the levels of all these proteins were significantly alleviated by CM treatment. These results suggest that T2D exacerbated CCH-induced brain damage and cognitive impairment, and CM ameliorated these effects.

MeSH terms

  • Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases / metabolism
  • Brain / drug effects*
  • Brain / metabolism
  • Brain / pathology
  • Brain Ischemia / complications
  • Brain Ischemia / drug therapy*
  • Brain Ischemia / metabolism
  • Choline O-Acetyltransferase / metabolism
  • Cognition / drug effects*
  • Cognition Disorders / drug therapy*
  • Cognition Disorders / etiology
  • Cognition Disorders / metabolism
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / complications
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / metabolism
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / complications*
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / metabolism
  • Diet, High-Fat
  • Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / metabolism
  • Hippocampus
  • Learning / drug effects*
  • Male
  • Maze Learning / drug effects
  • Neurons
  • Neuroprotective Agents / pharmacology
  • Neuroprotective Agents / therapeutic use
  • Piperazines / pharmacology
  • Piperazines / therapeutic use*
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Spatial Memory / drug effects
  • Vasodilator Agents / pharmacology
  • Vasodilator Agents / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein
  • Neuroprotective Agents
  • Piperazines
  • Vasodilator Agents
  • cinepazide
  • Choline O-Acetyltransferase
  • Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases
  • Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases
  • Bace1 protein, rat