Protective effects of metformin in scopolamine-induced cognitive impairment in rats

Abstract

Purpose:Epidemiological, clinical and experimental data supporta link between type 2 diabetes mellitus and Alzheimer’s disease(AD). AD is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder of the brainthat is characterized by impairment of memory and cognitivefunction due to cholinergic nervous system dysfunction. Met-formin, the most commonly used drug for the treatment of type IIdiabetes, has been shown to induce hippocampal neurogenesis andto enhance spatial learning [1]. Scopolamine, a non-selective mus-carinic receptor antagonist, blocks cholinergic neurotransmissionand impairs behavioral function, including learning and memory.Therefore, scopolamine administration to animals is used as anexperimental model of the cognitive deterioration and memorydisturbances in AD. The aim of this study was to investigate theeffect of metformin on spatial learning and memory behavior inscopolamine-induced memory impairment in naive rats.