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BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies
Published in: BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies 1/2023

Open Access 01-12-2023 | Schizophrenia | Research

Berberine improves inhibitory avoidance memory impairment of Toxoplasma gondii-infected rat model of ketamine-induced schizophrenia

Authors: Neghin Gholizadeh, Abdolhossein Dalimi, Fatemeh Ghaffarifar, Mehryar Nader-Mohammadi, Parviz Molavi, Masoomeh Dadkhah, Soheila Molaei

Published in: BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies | Issue 1/2023

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Abstract

Background

Memory impairment caused by Toxoplasma gondii infection has been documented. Berberine (BRB) is well known for its enhancing effects on memory and has shown promising results. However, the impact of BRB on T. gondii infection and schizophrenia-induced consolidation and reconsolidation memory impairment is still unclear. Here; we examined the effect of BRB on the inhibitory avoidance (IA) memory consolidation and reconsolidation impairment induced by T. gondii infection, and ketamine (Ket) as a pharmacological model of schizophrenia. Also; the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and hippocampus were analyzed.

Methods

Rats were infected with T. gondii RH strain or received Ket (30 mg/kg/day) intraperitoneally (i.p) for at least five consecutive days (as the model of schizophrenia). Then followed by oral administration with BRB (25 mg/kg/day) for five days. Finally, the IA memory retention test was examined 48 post-conditioning, and BDNF was measured.

Results

Results indicated IA memory impairment in T. gondii-infected animals since lower step-through latency (STL) was observed than in control animals. We found significant (P = 0.01, P = 0.001) elevations in STL and a significant decrease (P = 0.001) in total time spent in the dark area following BRB administration in infected and Ket-treated rats, indicating improvement (increased STL) in consolidation and reconsolidation memory. Moreover, BDNF levels were reduced (P = 0.01) in the hippocampus and mPFC regions of both T. gondii- infected and Ket-induced groups, which remarkably enhanced after BRB treatment. Furthermore; we found that BRB administration notably increased the mPFC BDNF levels in mPFC (P < 0.01) and hippocampus (P = 0.001) in the Ket-treated and rats infected with T. gondii.

Conclusion

Taken together; BRB may be a valuable preclinical treatment for improving memory impairment through BDNF expression in PFC and hippocampus, therefore; BRB is suggested for memory disturbances induced by T. gondii infection.
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Metadata
Title
Berberine improves inhibitory avoidance memory impairment of Toxoplasma gondii-infected rat model of ketamine-induced schizophrenia
Authors
Neghin Gholizadeh
Abdolhossein Dalimi
Fatemeh Ghaffarifar
Mehryar Nader-Mohammadi
Parviz Molavi
Masoomeh Dadkhah
Soheila Molaei
Publication date
01-12-2023
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies / Issue 1/2023
Electronic ISSN: 2662-7671
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-023-04107-4

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