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Huannao Yicong Decoction (还脑益聪方) extract reduces inflammation and cell apoptosis in Aβ1-42-induced Alzheimer's disease model of rats

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Abstract

Objective

Huannao Yicong Decoction (还脑益聪方, HYD), an effective herbal formula against Alzheimer's disease (AD), has been proven to have neuroprotective action in amyloid β-protein1-42 (Aβ1-42)-induced rat model. This study was designed to characterize mechanisms by which HYD leads to suppression of inflflammation and apoptosis in the brains of Aβ1-42-induced rat.

Methods

A total of 72 rats were divided into 6 groups, which were referred to as: sham operation group, model group, donepezil-treated group, HYD low-dose group (HYDL), HYD middle-dose group (HYDM) and HYD high-dose group (HYDH). Rats in HYDL, HYDM and HYDH were injected with Aβ1-42 at the CA1 region of hippocampus to form AD model and were fed the HYD extract at different dose of 3.78, 7.56 and 18.90 g crude drug/kg. The behavioral changes of rats were evaluated by Morris water maze (MWM) before sacrififice. Pathological changes of the brain tissue were evaluated using hematoxylin eosin (HE) staining. The levels of interleukin-1 (IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were measured by radioimmunoassay. The levels of Aβ and proteins that are associated with apoptosis such as B-cell lymphoma-2 protein (Bcl-2), Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax), cysteine-aspartic protease (caspase)-3, -8, -9 and -12 in serum were measured by immunohistochemistry.

Results

Compared with the sham operation group, the spatial learning and memory abilities of AD rats were signifificantly decreased (P<0.05 or P<0.01; Expressions of IL-1, TNF-α, Aβ and apoptosis-signaling proteins caspase-3, -8, -9, -12 were signifificantly up-regulated (P<0.05 or P<0.01). The ratio of Bcl-2 to Bax were signifificantly decreased in the model group (P<0.01). When treated with HYD extract, the spatial learning and memory abilities of AD-model rats were significantly increased (P<0.05 or P<0.01), IL-1, TNF-α, Aβ, caspase-3, -8, -9 and -12 were down-regulated (P<0.05 or P<0.01), and the ratio of Bcl-2 to Bax were reduced (P<0.05 or P<0.01).

Conclusions

HYD extract can improve the learning and memory ability defificits, alleviate the inflflammatory response and pathological manifestations induced by Aβ1-42 injection in the rat model of AD. HYD down-regulates the levels of IL-1, TNF-α and Aβ, and decreases the rate of apoptosis by modulating apoptosis-signaling-related proteins such as caspase-3, -8, -9, and -12.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Gerontology Department, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100091, China

    Qi Wang, Hao Li, Fei-xue Wang, Lei Gao, Ji-chang Qin, Jian-gang Liu, Yun Wei & Mei-xia Liu

  2. Graduate School, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China

    Qi Wang

Authors
  1. Qi Wang
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  2. Hao Li
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  3. Fei-xue Wang
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  4. Lei Gao
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  5. Ji-chang Qin
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  6. Jian-gang Liu
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  7. Yun Wei
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  8. Mei-xia Liu
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hao Li.

Additional information

Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81173383) and Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Plan (No. Z141100002214003)

Conflict of Interest We declare that we have no conflict of interest.

Author Contributions Li H and Liu JG contributed to experimental design and supervising the whole experimental process; Gao L, Qin JC, Wei Y and Liu MX were involved in the experimental conducting; Wang Q and Wang FX contributed to the data analysis and manuscript preparation. All the authors read, revised and approved the final manuscript.

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Wang, Q., Li, H., Wang, Fx. et al. Huannao Yicong Decoction (还脑益聪方) extract reduces inflammation and cell apoptosis in Aβ1-42-induced Alzheimer's disease model of rats. Chin. J. Integr. Med. 23, 672–680 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-016-2255-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-016-2255-1

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