生物谷导读：人类和许多动物年老时都会出现记忆衰退现象，过去的研究显示，这与大脑中一种名为糖皮质素的激素含量过高有关，因此能够控制这种激素的药物将可能帮助治疗老年记忆衰退。最新这篇文章提供了新思路。
10月13日，英国爱丁堡大学研究人员在《神经科学杂志》上报告说，他们发现一种药物可快速有效地帮助实验鼠抵抗由于年龄引起的记忆衰退，这将有助于研发治疗人类老年痴呆症的药物。
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研究人员于是利用实验鼠测试了一种新合成的名为UE1961的药物，它可以通过阻断生成路径来控制糖皮质素的含量。结果显示，那些年老的实验鼠在服用这种药物仅仅10天之后，在迷宫测试中表现出的记忆能力就有了明显改善。
进行研究的乔纳森·塞克尔教授说，这种药物可帮助抵抗老年记忆衰退在意料之中，但年老实验鼠服药数天之后记忆就有改善，药效之快让人惊讶。研究人员表示，下一步将探索该药物是否可以安全地用于人类。如果进展顺利，将有望用这种药物帮助人类抵抗由年龄引起的记忆衰退，以及治疗老年痴呆症等疾病。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推荐英文摘要：
The Journal of Neuroscience doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2783-10.2010
Partial Deficiency or Short-Term Inhibition of 11β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 1 Improves Cognitive Function in Aging Mice
Karen Sooy,2 Scott P. Webster,2 June Noble,2 Margaret Binnie,2 Brian R. Walker,2 Jonathan R. Seckl,1,2 and Joyce L. W. Yau1,2
1Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, and 2Endocrinology Unit, Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, United Kingdom
11β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1) regenerates active glucocorticoids (GCs) from intrinsically inert 11-keto substrates inside cells, including neurons, thus amplifying steroid action. Excess GC action exerts deleterious effects on the hippocampus and causes impaired spatial memory, a key feature of age-related cognitive dysfunction. Mice with complete deficiency of 11β-HSD1 are protected from spatial memory impairments with aging. Here, we tested whether lifelong or short-term decreases in 11β-HSD1 activity are sufficient to alter cognitive function in aged mice. Aged (24 months old) heterozygous male 11β-HSD1 knock-out mice, with 60% reduction in hippocampal 11β-reductase activity throughout life, were protected against spatial memory impairments in the Y-maze compared to age-matched congenic C57BL/6J controls. Pharmacological treatment of aged C57BL/6J mice with a selective 11β-HSD1 inhibitor (UE1961) for 10 d improved spatial memory performance in the Y-maze (59% greater time in novel arm than vehicle control). These data support the use of selective 11β-HSD1 inhibitors in the treatment of age-related cognitive impairments.
