Effect of carnitine and policosanol on acetylcholine concentration of cerebrum in BALB/C mice

  Objective   To study the effect of carnitine and policosanol on acet ylcholine concentration of cerebrum in mice.

  Methods   the adult BAL B/C mice wrerandomly divided into five groups, normal control group, high-fat-feeding group, carnitine group, policosanol group, carnitine and policosanol group.The mice in the normal control group were fed standar d for ag e.The mice in other groups were fed with forage including 20% fat, saturated grease 50% and unsatur ated oil 50%.The carnitine dose was 50 mg/kg by mice weight.The policosanol dose was 50 mg/kg by mice weight.The carnitine and policosanol dose was 50 mg/kg carnitine and 50 mg/kg policosanol.The experimental agents were included in the forage as the content of 0.09%.All the mice were fed orally for 30 d.The body weight and the brain weight of the mice were weighted, the ratio of brain weight and body weight were calculated.The Acetylcholine concentration of the cerebrum were measured by the alkalescence hydroxylamine colorimetry.

  Results   the body weight, brain weight and the ratio of brain weight and body weight of the mice were unsignificantly different between the five groups(P > 0.05).High-fat-feeding significantly decreased the acetylcholine content of corebrum in mice(P < 0.05).Policosanol 50 mg/kg significantly increased the acetylcholine content of cerebrum in mice(P < 0.05), but the increment resulted by the policosanol was no more than that in the standard group(P > 0.05).Carnitine significantly increased the acetylcholine content of cerebrum in the mice(P < 0.05), and the increment of the cerebrum acetylcholine content were the most among the groups.There were interaction between carnitine resulted by the carnitine combining policosanol was about to the subtraction of the increment resulted by the carnitine and the increment by policosanol, which was antagonistic action between the carnitine and the policosanol.

  Conclusion   Carnitine and policosanol respectiv ely increased the cerebrum acetylcholine content, but the combining action of carnitine and policosanol was antagonistic action.