Central Cholinergic Markers and Spatial Memory Performance in Rats Following Administration of Rauwolfia Vomitoria and Chlorpromazine

The study was designed to compare the effects of Rauwolfia vomitoria and chlorpromazine on metabolic activities, spatial memory performance, central cholinergic markers, oxidative stress markers and neurohistoarchitecture in the brain of adult wistar rats. Twenty five adult male wister rats weighing between 200 - 230 g were divided into five groups (A-E) of five rats each. Group A (control) received 2mls of normal saline daily, Group B received 5mg/kg of chlorpromazine, Group C received 10 mg/kg of chlorpromazine, Group D received 150 mg/kg of R. vomitoria and Group E received 300 mg/kg of R. vomitoria orally. All the medications were given daily for 21 days. Body weights were taken weekly and recorded. A y-maze apparatus was used to assess the spatial memory performance in the rats at days 14 and 21 of the experiment. All the animals were euthanized using 20mg/kgbw of intramuscular ketamine, cardially perfused with 4% paraformaldehyde and the brains were removed, some were homogenised for analysis of central cholinergic markers and others for histological analysis. Low doses of chlorpromazine increase body weight and Rauwolfia vomitoria increase central cholinergic markers. The findings of the study show that R.vomitoria and chlorpromazine exert differential and dosage dependent effects on body weight, central cholinergic neurons and learning performance. The conclusion from the study indicates that R. vomitoria could be a better alternative drug in the treatment of psychosis with lesser metabolic and central nervous system side effects.