Abstract:

This study aims to explore the effect of Acorus tatarinowii Schott and α-asarone on RGS14/MEK/ERK signal pathway in hippocampus of rats with fatigue exercise,and study its mechanism on improving learning and memory of rats with fatigue exercise.Eighty SD male rats were randomly divided into eight groups:control group (Nor),exercise group (E),exercise + α-asarone group (EαA),exercise + A.tatarinowii group (D),exercise + α-asarone + CCG-63802 group (EαAR),exercise + A.tatarinowii + CCG-63802 group (EATC),exercise+ α-asarone + U0126 group (EαAU),exercise + A.tatarinowii + U0126 group (EATU).There were ten rats in each group.Water maze experiment was used to test learning and memory.The expression levels of regulator of G protein signaling 14 (RGS14),Raf-1,phosphorylated mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase(p-MEK) and phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2(p-ERK 1/2) were detected by the methods of immunohistochemistry,Western blot and RT-PCR.The results showed that the escape latency in group EAT and EαA was significantly lower than that in group E,and the number of platform crossings was significantly higher than that in group E (P<0.01).Group EATC and EαAR had the shortest escape latency and the most times of crossing the platform (P<0.01).Group EATU and EαAU had the longest escape latency and the least number of platform crossings (P<0.01).The expression levels of RGS14 protein and mRNA in group EAT and EαA were significantly lower than those in group E,while the protein expression levels of Raf-1,p-MEK and p-ERK1/2 were significantly higher in group EAT and EαA than those in group E (P<0.01).The expression levels of RGS14 protein and mRNA in EATC and EαAR groups were the lowest and significantly lower than those in the other groups,while the protein expression levels of Raf-1,p-MEK and p-ERK 1/2 in group EATC and EαAR were the highest and significantly higher than those in the other groups (P<0.01 or P<0.05).The protein expression levels of p-MEK,p-ERK 1/2 in group EATU and EαAU were the lowest and significantly lower than those in the other groups (P<0.01).The results indicated that A.tatarinowii and α-asarone could modulate RGS14/MEK/ERK signaling pathway in hippocampus,and significantly improve the learning and memory of rats with fatigue exercise.

Key words:

Acorus tatarinowii Schott, α-asarone, learning and memory, sports fatigue, RGS14/MEK/ERK signaling pathway