Effects of Sinapic Acid of 4 Vessel Occlusion Model-Induced Ischemia and Cognitive Impairments in the Rat

OBJECTIVE Sinapic acid (SA, Sinapine), small naturally occurring hydroxycinnamic acid, has a GABA(A) receptor agonistic property and free radical scavenging activity. We examined potential neuroprotective effects of sinapic acid (SA) using global cerebral ischemia animal model. METHODS MTT assay was performed to determine cytotoxic effects of SA. To examine the neuroprotective effects of SA, SA was administrated for 14 d before 4-vessel occlusion. Also, to determine whether SA prevents cognitive impairment, Morris water maze was performed. RESULTS In this study, the efficacy of SA for the prevention of neuronal damage and for the reduction of memory impairment was investigated. CONCLUSION The results indicate that SA confers significant neuroprotection especially for ischemic hippocampal neurons.