Intake of phosphatidylcholine from soybean lecithin improves learning and memory ability and hippocampal synaptophysin expression in young rats

    ZHANG Jianª²Dong, HOU Yiª²Ping, SONG Yanª²Feng, ZHANG Lang, WANG Deª²Gui

    Department of Anatomy, Basic Medical College, Lanzhou Medical University, Lanzhou 730000, China

    ¡¾Abstract¡¿ AIM: To examine the effects of intake of phosphatidylcholine from soybean lecithin (SBª²pc) on the learning and memory ability and hippocampal synaptophysin (SYN) immunoreactive expression in young rats. METHODS: Twentyª²one 5ª²weekª²old male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: ¢Ù SBª²pc treatment group (PC, n=8), ¢Ú maze control group (MC, n=7), ¢Û normal control group (NC, n=6). After 8ª²week feeding, rats in PC and MC were tested in Morris water maze for 4 d. The data of escape latency were recorded with computer system. The hippocampus of rats in PC, MC and NC were tested with immunohistochemical method by synaptophsin (SYN). RESULTS: ¢Ù Significant differences of escape latency (EL) were found between rats in PC and MC (P<0.01). ¢Ú Staining for SYN revealed that the synaptophysin content in the hippocampal formation was significantly different between rats in PC and MC (P<0.01), and between rats in MC and in NC (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Intake of SBª²pc improves the learning and memory ability and synaptic plasticity of hippocampal formation in young rats. ......