Traditional herbal medicine Ga-Mi Gongjindan improves muscarinic cholinergic dysfunction through regulation of BDNF/CREB signaling pathway using a scopolamine-induced cognitive impairment of mouse model.

BACKGROUND

Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), are characterized by progressive memory loss and cognitive dysfunction, often linked to cholinergic system deterioration and hippocampal oxidative stress. Current pharmacological treatments offer only modest symptomatic relief and are often accompanied by adverse effects. In traditional Korean medicine, Ga-Mi Gongjindan (GJD), a modified formulation of Gongjindan, has long been used for enhancing cognitive function, but its neuropharmacological basis remains largely unexplored.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the neuroprotective potential and underlying mechanisms of GJD in a murine model of scopolamine-induced cognitive impairment, which mimics aspects of muscarinic cholinergic dysfunction observed in Alzheimer's disease (AD).

METHODS

C57BL/6 J mice were administered GJD or tacrine (positive control) for 14 days. Cognitive impairment was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of scopolamine (2 mg/kg), and behavioral analysis was assessed using the Morris Water Maze. Hippocampal tissues were analyzed for markers of oxidative stress, inflammation, cholinergic function, and neurotrophic signaling by focusing on the BDNF/CREB signaling pathway.

RESULTS

GJD treatment significantly improved spatial learning and memory performance. It restored cholinergic function by reducing acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity and increasing choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) levels. GJD also suppressed oxidative stress and neuroinflammation and markedly enhanced hippocampal expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB), and their receptors (TrkA, TrkB, and M1 mAChR).

CONCLUSION

GJD exerted significant neuroprotective effects in a scopolamine-induced model of cognitive dysfunction, potentially via modulation of cholinergic and BDNF/CREB signaling pathways. These findings provide a scientific rationale for the traditional use of GJD in cognitive disorders and support its further development as a candidate for treating neurodegenerative diseases such as AD.