After confirmation of the safety of Y. aloifolia extract, rats were randomly divided into four groups as follows (n = 8 per group): group 1; NC group: received 2 mL/kg 0.9% saline by oral gavage followed 20 min later by 1 mL/kg 2.5% DMSO (Sigma-Aldrich, MO, USA), subcutaneous (s.c.) for four weeks; group 2: rotenone group received 2 mL/kg 0.9% saline by oral gavage followed 20 min later by rotenone (Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, MO, USA) suspended in 2.5% DMSO (1.5 mg/kg/day, s.c.) for four weeks; group 3 and 4: received active Yucca extract (50 and 100 mg/kg, respectively) dissolved in 0.9% saline by oral gavage, then 20 min later, they received rotenone (as the second group) for four weeks.
Twenty-four hours following the last dose, rats were tested for neurobehavioral and locomotor abnormalities in addition to depression. They were sacrificed after being anesthetized with ketamine hydrochloride (30 mg/kg IM) and xylazine hydrochloride (5 mg/kg IM). Then blood was collected from the abdominal aorta, and their brains were dissected. The isolated striata from one hemisphere were stored at -80°C until further processing for biochemical analysis. The second striata were fixed in either 10% neutral formalin or 2.5% glutaraldehyde for subsequent light and electron microscopic histopathological examination.
Twenty-four hours following the last dose, rats were tested for neurobehavioral and locomotor abnormalities in addition to depression. They were sacrificed after being anesthetized with ketamine hydrochloride (30 mg/kg IM) and xylazine hydrochloride (5 mg/kg IM). Then blood was collected from the abdominal aorta, and their brains were dissected. The isolated striata from one hemisphere were stored at -80°C until further processing for biochemical analysis. The second striata were fixed in either 10% neutral formalin or 2.5% glutaraldehyde for subsequent light and electron microscopic histopathological examination.
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