The Available Composition of Anemarrheina Asphodeloides and Its Mechanism in Treatment of Senile Dementia

　　
Objective: To study the effect of Anemarrheina Asphodeloides (AA) and its sapogenin (ZMS) on dysfunction of the brain in the mouse and its mechanism.

Methods: SD rats and Balb/c mice were selected in the experiments. The density of M and M subtype receptors were measured with the help of 3H-QNB combing test.

Result:
(l) Double-site competition combination test showed that the densities of M and M subtype receptors lowered in the aged rats. Long term oral administration of ZMS might heighten them to the level of young rats;

(2) Autoradiography revealed that the grey value reducted in cerebral cortex, striatum and hippocampus which are involved in the function of learning, memory and cognition of the organism, showing an effect of ZMS in increasing the density of the abovmentioned receptors;

(3) ZMS could raise the response accuracy of the aged rats in Y labyrinth cage and shorten the response duration. There existed a significant positive correlation between M receptor, or Ml and M2 density and the learning and memory functions;

(4) The experiments on mice showed that the increase of cerebral M receptors induced by administration of ZMS was obviously of dose-dependence and duration-dependence;

(5) The mechanism of ZMS was different from the known drugs for resisting senile dementia (SD). It did not occupy the binding spots of M receptors and was not a kind of inhibitor of cholinesterase. It could directly act on cells to induce increase of M receptors proved in cultured cerebral cells and m2 gene-transfected CHO cells;

(6) Researches with double blind methods indicated that the effective rates in control group and ZMS group were 2/l3 (l5.3%) and 8/l6 (50o/) respectively after administration of ZMS for 3 months in SD patients. MMSE of control group kept unchanged. But MMSE of ZMS group increased gradual1y month by month, with the average value being 2.7 score. There was a significant difference between the control group and ZMS group (P<0'05)

Conclusion: The effect of ZMS on senile dementia was closely with its resultant increase of M receptor density which was different from that of excitant or depressant of M receptors.

By Yi Ningyu, Hu Yaer, Sun Qingxiang etc