Berberine Attenuates Hippocampal Apoptosis and Improves Memory Impairment in a Scopolamine-Induced Rat Model of Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a brain disorder accompanied by memory impairment. In this study, we investigated the neuroprotective effects of Berberine in a rat model of AD. Adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into a control and 2 experimental groups. The control group received normal saline via intraperitoneal injection (i.p) for 21 days. The experimental groups were induced AD by using Scopolamine hydrobromide (3 mg/kg, i.p.) for 7 days, after which they were treated with either Berberine (50 mg/kg, i.p.) or normal saline for an additional 14 days. The Morris water maze test was used to assess spatial learning and memory. Also, histological analysis of the hippocampal CA1 region was conducted using Cresyl fast violet and H&E staining, and cell apoptosis was evaluated using the TUNEL assay. The results indicated that Scopolamine administration impaired spatial memory, reduced the number of normal pyramidal cells, and increased the number of apoptotic cells in the CA1 region of the hippocampus. In contrast, treatment with Berberine improved spatial memory, preserved the integrity of pyramidal neurons, and significantly reduced apoptosis in the CA1 region of the hippocampus. These findings suggest that Berberine may be a potential therapeutic agent for AD.