Homoeopathic medicine Mercurius solubilis treatment improves cerebral blood flow and memory in experimentally induced Dementia in rats

Abstract

Background: Mercurius solubilis (Merc. sol) is a known, accepted homoeopathic medicine for the treatment of various mouth, throat, eye, and ear infections. Previous studies suggested that Merc. sol has anti‑inflammatory properties which could be beneficial in memory impairment. Objective: The present study was designed to investigate the effect of Merc. sol on learning and memory and cerebral blood flow (CBF) in the rat model of impaired learning and memory function induced by intracerebroventricularly (ICV) administered streptozotocin (STZ). Materials and Methods: The different potencies of Merc. sol (6, 30, 200, and 1M) were given for 17 days in memory‑impaired rats, induced by ICV administration of STZ (3 mg/kg). The Morris water maze test was used to evaluate the learning and memory function on the 14th, 15th, and 16th day. The laser doppler flow meter was used to measure CBF on the 17th day. Results: There was a significant reduction in CBF along with learning and memory functions in STZ (ICV)‑treated rats, which were significantly attenuated by the treatment of Merc. sol at all potencies (6, 30, 200, and 1M). Conclusion: Our results demonstrated the effectiveness of Merc. sol in improving memory function and CBF. Thus, it could be used as a therapeutic agent in dementia.