Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:3.1.1.8 (cholinesterase)
 12,691 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Previous work in our laboratory demonstrated that galantamine, a cholinesterase inhibitor and weak cholinergic agonist, facilitated classical trace eyeblink conditioning in healthy, young rabbits [Simon, B. B., Knuckley, B., & Powell, D. A. (2004). Galantamine facilitates acquisition of a trace-conditioned eyeblink response in healthy, young rabbits. Learning & Memory, 11(1), 116-122.]. The current study investigated the effects of galantamine (0.0 or 3.0mg/kg) in rabbits sustaining knife-cut lesions to the fimbria-fornix, a major projection pathway connecting the hippocampus to cortical and subcortical brain structures involved in the formation of long-term memories. Two experiments were conducted. Experiment one assessed the effects of knife-cut lesions to the fornix or sham surgeries on trace eyeblink (EB) conditioning. Results indicate that fornix lesions significantly retarded EB conditioning when trace parameters were employed. Experiment 2 assessed whether treatment with galantamine would reverse the deficits caused by fornix damage. Results indicate that 3.0mg/kg GAL reversed trace EB conditioning deficits in animals with fornix knife-cut lesions. These findings suggest that galantamine may provide benefit in the reversal of cognitive dysfunction following certain types of brain damage, especially damage involving hippocampal structures.
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PMID:Impairments in trace EB conditioning by knife-cut lesions to the fornix in rabbits: reversal by galantamine. 1761 52

Alzheimer's disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VaD) are the most common causes of dementia in the elderly. Although AD can be diagnosed with a considerable degree of accuracy, the distinction between isolated AD, VaD and mixed dementia (MD) [when both pathologies coexist in the same patient] remains a controversial issue and one of the most difficult diagnostic challenges. MD represents a very common pathology, especially in the elderly, as reported in neuropathological studies. Accurate diagnosis of MD is of crucial significance for epidemiological purposes and for preventive and therapeutic strategies. Until recently, pharmacological studies have generally focused on pure disease, either AD or VaD, and have provided few data on the best therapeutic approach to MD. There is only one original randomized clinical trial on (acetyl)cholinesterase inhibitor therapy (GAL-INT-6, galantamine) for MD; the other studies are post hoc analyses of AD trial subgroups (AD2000, donepezil) or of VaD trial subgroups (VantagE, rivastigmine). Cholinesterase inhibitors have reproducible beneficial effects on cognitive and functional outcomes in patients with MD. These benefits are of a similar magnitude to those previously reported for the treatment of AD. It is likely that the beneficial effects of memantine (an NMDA receptor antagonist) in AD may also apply to MD, but randomized controlled trials are still lacking. Treatment of cardiovascular risk factors, especially hypertension, may protect brain function and should be included in prevention strategies for MD.
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PMID:Management of mixed dementia. 2080 62