| Abstract: | The effects of bis(7)-tacrine, a novel acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, on cognitive impairment and neuronal degeneration induced by permanent ligation of bilateral common carotid arteries (2VO) were investigated using the Morris water maze in rats. Once daily oral administration of bis(7)-tacrine (0.025, 0.05 and 0.1 mg\5kg-1) was started 14 days after 2VO operation. Over a three-week treatment bis(7)-tacrine effectively reversed 2VO-induced spatial memory deficits in a dose-dependent fashion. Furthermore, histological observation showed bis(7)-tacrine decreased the neuropathological changes in the 2VO rats brain. These results suggest that bis(7)-tacrine has therapeutic potential for the treatment of dementia caused by chronic cerebral hypoperfusion. |
