To investigate the effects of Wogonin (WO) on learning and memory impairment, Aβ1-42 was injected intracerebroventricularly to induced a mouse learning and memory impairment model, and D-galactose was injected intraperitoneally to induced a mouse acute aging model. Mice were administered WO (75, 150, or 300 mg/kg) by oral gavage for 28 consecutive days. Cognitive function was assessed using the Morris water maze (MWM), novel object recognition (NOR), and open field tests (OFT). In the Aβ1-42 model, WO treatment (150 and 300 mg/kg) significantly improved the recognition index in the NOR test, while the 150 mg/kg group showed increased target quadrant preference in the MWM test. No changes in the total distance traveled in OFT. In the D-galactose aging model, the 150 mg/kg WO group exhibited increased platform crossings in the MWM test, and all WO doses (75, 150, and 300 mg/kg) enhanced target quadrant preference, with no alterations in spontaneous movement. Western blot analysis revealed that WO significantly attenuated hippocampal apoptosis in both models. These findings suggest that WO ameliorates learning and memory impairment associated with Alzheimer’s disease and aging.

Anxiety disorders are one of the most epidemic and chronic psychiatric disorders. An incomplete understanding of anxiety pathophysiology has limited the development of highly effective drugs against these disorders. GPR17 has been shown to be involved in multiple sclerosis and some acute brain injury disorders. However, no study has investigated the role of GPR17 in psychiatric disorders. In a well-established chronic restraint stress (CRS) mouse model, using a combination of pharmacological and molecular biology techniques, viral tracing, in vitro electrophysiology recordings, in vivo fiber photometry, chemogenetic manipulations and behavioral tests, we demonstrated that CRS induced anxiety-like behaviors and increased the expression of GPR17 in basolateral amygdala (BLA) glutamatergic neurons. Inhibition of GPR17 by cangrelor or knockdown of GPR17 by adeno-associated virus in BLA glutamatergic neurons effectively improved anxiety-like behaviors. Overexpression of GPR17 in BLA glutamatergic neurons increased the susceptibility to anxiety-like behaviors. What's more, BLA glutamatergic neuronal activity was required for anxiolytic-like effects of GPR17 antagonist and GPR17 modulated anxiety-like behaviors via BLA to ventral hippocampal CA1 glutamatergic projection. Our study finds for the first and highlights the new role of GPR17 in regulating anxiety-like behaviors and it might be a novel potential target for therapy of anxiety disorders.