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Protective effects of the Sophorae Fructus on cognitive impairment and neuroinflammatory alteration in an Aβ1-42-infused Alzheimer’s disease mouse model

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Abstract

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a common cause of neuropsychological impairment, is characterized by the deposition of a neurotoxic and fibrillogenic form of the β-amyloid (Aβ) peptide, Aβ1–42. The present study showed the therapeutic efficacy of Sophorae Fructu (KH034) on Aβ1–42-infused memory dysfunction in mice. KH034 treatment significantly recuperated deficit in learning and memory of the Aβ1–42 –infused mice, as determined by Y-maze and Morris water maze test. Through biochemical analysis test, we suggested that KH034 treatment ameliorated Aβ accumulation and neuronal cell death in the cortex and hippocampus of the mice brain. Furthermore, KH034 treatment enhanced neuron-specific nuclear protein (NeuN) and brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels. Moreover, KH034 treatment activated the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2) and cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) in the hippocampus. Thus, KH034 treatment inhibited the activity of proteins associated with neurodegeneration in AD through its anti-amyloidogenic, anti-inflammatory and pro-survival effect. These results suggest that KH034 treatment improves cognitive function and inhibits amyloidogenesis by the prevention of neuroinflammation in Aβ1–42 –infused mice. Therefore, KH034 may be useful in the prevention and treatment of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea(NRF) funded by the Ministry of Science, ICT & Future Planning(NRF-2013R1A1A1063477).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea

    Hwa-Young Lee & Yongju Kwon

  2. Research group of Neuroscience, East-West Medical Research Institute, WHO Collaborating Center, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea

    Hwa-Young Lee, Yongju Kwon & Seung-Hun Cho

  3. Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Kyung Hee University, 23, Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, 02447, Republic of Korea

    Seung-Hun Cho

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Correspondence to Seung-Hun Cho.

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Ethical Statement

All procedures performed in studies involving animals were in accordance with the ethical standards of the the Kyung Hee University Medical Center Institutional Animal Care (approver number; KHMC-IACUC 2015–31).

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Lee, HY., Kwon, Y. & Cho, SH. Protective effects of the Sophorae Fructus on cognitive impairment and neuroinflammatory alteration in an Aβ1-42-infused Alzheimer’s disease mouse model. Orient Pharm Exp Med 17, 255–268 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13596-017-0267-9

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