Synthesis and biological activity evaluation of phthalimide-donepezil hybrids / 药学学报

A series of phthalimide-donepezil (PTA-DPZ) hybrids (5a-e, 6a-l) were designed, synthesized and evaluated as selective inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase (AChE). The results showed that some hybrids had strong AChE inhibitory activity with half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) at nanomolar range, which was better than the control drugs galanthamine and tacrine, and equivalent to DPZ. Compound 6k exhibited the strongest inhibition to AChE with an IC50 value of 0.13 μmol·L-1. Kinetic and molecular modeling studies showed that 6k targeted both catalytic active site and peripheral anionic site of AChE. Moreover, some compounds could inhibit AChE-induced β-amyloid (Aβ) aggregation. In addition, absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion prediction results showed 6k conforms to the Lipinski's rule of five and had high partition coefficient P value. These compounds, especially 6k, may be considered as a dual-functional lead compound for in-depth research.

Huanglian Jiedutang Regulates HIF-1α/VEGF Signaling Pathway to Improve Learning and Memory Abilities of APP/PS1 Transgenic Mice / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo reveal the effects of Huanglian Jiedutang （HLJDT） on the learning and memory abilities of APP/PS1 transgenic mice via hypoxia-inducible factor-1α （HIF-1α）/vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF） signaling pathway. MethodForty 5-month-old β-amyloid precursor protein （APP）/presenilin 1（PS1） mice were randomized into the model， donepezil （0.001 g·kg-1·d-1）， and low-， medium-， and high-dose （1.5， 3， 6 g·kg-1·d-1， respectively） HLJDT groups， and 8 C57BL/6 mice were taken as the normal group. After 45 days of continuous administration， Morris water maze test was conducted， and the organ indexes were calculated. The morphological structure of cerebral vascular endothelial cells in mice was observed under a transmission electron microscope. Western blot was employed to measure the protein levels of APP， HIF-1α， VEGF，VEGFA， and brain-derived neurotrophic factor （BDNF） in the hippocampus. The mRNA levels of APP， HIF-1α， and VEGF were determined by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）. ResultCompared with the normal group， the model group showed prolonged escape latency （P<0.05）， reduced distance and time around the target platform （P<0.05）， decrease brain and spleen indexes （P<0.05）， vascular endothelial cells with karyopyknosis and not abundant cytoplasm， up-regulated protein levels of APP， HIF-1α， VEGF， and VEGFA （P<0.05）， down-regulated protein level of BDNF （P<0.05）， and up-regulated mRNA levels of APP， HIF-1α， and VEGF （P<0.05） in the hippocampus. Compared with the model group， high-dose HLJDT shortened the escape latency （P<0.05）， increased the distance and time around the target platform （P<0.05）， raised the brain and spleen indexes （P<0.05）， repaired the organelles of vascular endothelial cells， down-regulated the protein levels of APP， HIF-1α， VEGF， and VEGFA （P<0.05）， up-regulated the protein level of BDNF （P<0.05）， and down-regulated the mRNA levels of APP， HIF-1α， and VEGF （P<0.05） in the hippocampus. ConclusionHLJDT can improve the learning and memory abilities of mice by reducing the expression of HIF-1α and VEGF， thus protecting the nerves.

Effects of pranlinide on cognitive behavior, β amyloid protein 6E10, inflammatory factors and neuronal cell morphology in brain and retina of 5×FAD mice and WT mice / 解剖学报

[Abstract] Objective To study the effects of pranlinide on cognitive behavior, β amyloid(Aβ) protein 6E10, inflammatory factors and neuronal cell morphology in brain and retina of 5×FAD mice and WT mice. Methods Thirty two 5×FAD mice and 16 WT mice were selected. All were female. 5×FAD mice were randomly divided into blank group and treatment group; No treatment was given in WT group. Blank group was intraperitoneally injected with PBS; treatment group was received intraperitoneal injection of pranlinide once a day for 8 weeks. The changes of cognitive ability were measured by Morris water maze test. The expression of Aβ6E10 protein in mice hippocampal cells and retina was detected by immunohistochemistry. Tumor necrosis factor α(NF-α) was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The same method was also used for interleukin-1β(IL-1β) detection (The content of inflammatory factors). The arrangement and morphology of nerve cells in mouse hippocampal tissue were determined by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. Results The latency time of treatment group was shorter than that of 5×FAD group,and the times of crossing the platform and the percentage of target quadrant stay in the treatment group were higher than those in the 5×FAD group, and the differences were statistically significant (P0. 05). Compared with the 5×FAD group, the nerve cells in the treatment group were arramged in order and clear relatively. The distribution of glial cells was concentrated; The surrounding clearance was small. Conclusion Pranlinide can improve the cognitive ability of mice. The arrangement of nerve cells is regular, the shape is regular and the boundary is clear; The distribution of glial cells is concentrated; surrounding of clearance decrease. Aβ6E10 is synchronized in brain and retina.

Advance in Traditional Chinese Medicine for Alzheimer's disease by regulating microglia / 中国药理学通报

Microglia, the main immune macrophages in the central nervous system, can be highly involved in the occurrence and development of Alzheimer's disease(AD)through microglia polarization and receptor protein expression. Traditional Chinese Medicine has been demonstrated to have regulatory effects on MG. Many active components in Traditional Chinese herbs play important roles in decreasing β-amyloid peptide(Aβ)accumulation, inhibiting neuro-inflammation and regulating microglia polarization etc. In this study the role of microglia in the pathogenesis of AD and the mechanism by which Traditional Chinese Medicine regulating microglia are reviewed to provide a reference for the treatment of AD.

Theoretical Exploration of Luobing Theory Guides Study on Alzheimer's Disease Based on Neurovascular Protection / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Based on the correlation between Qi and blood in traditional Chinese medicine， the collateral disease theory puts forward that the Qi-collateral go hand in hand with the vessel-collateral of the brain， and to be as close as lips to teeth in structure and function， which is an important basis for the function of brain governing mind. And this theory proposes that deficiency/stagnancy of collateral-Qi， stagnation of collaterals and loss of consciousness are the main pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease（AD）， which is different from the research strategy of modern medicine focusing on neurons. It is suggested that it is necessary to treat AD from two aspects， including neuronal protection（elimination of pathological products such as β-amyloid and phosphorylated tau protein） and cerebral microvascular protection（protection of cerebral microvascular structure and function， promotion of therapeutic angiogenesis and increase of cerebral blood flow. Tongxinluo capsules is a representative drug for dredging collaterals developed under the guidance of the therapeutic principle of collaterals need circulation， it can protect microvessels and play a neuroprotective role mediated by vascular protection. Clinical studies have confirmed that Tongxinluo capsules can effectively treat AD， vascular dementia and cognitive impairment related diseases， which can provide new ideas and effective treatment ways to prevent and treat AD from neurovascular protection in a comprehensive manner.

The risk of Alzheimer′s disease transmitted by blood transfusion based on APP/PS1 double transgenic mice / 中国输血杂志

【Objective】 To explore the risk of Alzheimer′s disease (AD) transmitted by blood transfusion. 【Methods】 There were 10 APP/PS1 mice of 3, 6 and 9 months old, half female and half male, and the cognitive and behavioral abilities of C57 mice of the same age were measured, and the blood of the oldest APP/PS1 mice with no behavioral changes were collected to detect the contents of Aβ40 and Aβ42. The polymers Aβ40 and Aβ42 were prepared and Western blotting analysis was conducted. Kunming mice aged from 6 to 7 months were randomly divided into 6 groups (10 mice/ group, half male and half female). The blood of APP/PS1 mice was injected intravenously in experimental group 1-2(100 μL/mouse) with high frequency injection (3 times/week) and low frequency injection (1 time/week), respectively. In experimental group 3-4, Aβ40 and Aβ42 polymerized mixture (100 μL/mouse) were injected in high frequency and low frequency, respectively. The control group 1-2 was injected with the same amount of normal saline, with high frequency and low frequency, respectively. The above groups were injected for 4 weeks, and the cognitive and behavioral abilities were tested and analyzed one week after injection. Finally, the contents of Aβ40 and Aβ42 in blood of Kunming mice were detected. 【Results】 Change in cognitive and behavioral ability showed in 9 months old APP/PS1 mice, but not in 3 and 6 months old APP/PS1 mice. The contents of Aβ40 and Aβ42 (pg/mL) in blood of 6-7 months old APP/PS1 mice were 418.40±2.18 and 15.68±0.20, respectively. Except for monomers, most of the polymerized mixtures of Aβ40 and Aβ42 were dimers and trimers. In both high frequency and low frequency, Kunming mice transfused with blood of APP/PS1 mice (experimental group 1-2) showed a certain degree of anxiety-like behavior and short-term memory shortening in open-field test and conditioned fear test, but without significant difference. There was no significant difference in open field test, new object recognition, Barnes maze and cognitive behavior analysis of conditioned fear between experimental group 3-4 and the control group. The levels of blood Aβ40 and Aβ42(pg/mL) of Kunming mice detected by ELISA were 10.30±0.08 and 3.360±0.005, respectively, and there was no significant difference between the two groups. 【Conclusion】 Blood transfusion of APP/PS1 mice and the mixture of Aβ40 and Aβ42 have no significant effect on the cognitive function of healthy Kunming mice in a short time, and the risk of AD transmission is relatively low.

Establishing and evaluating a robust method based on LC-MS/MS for simultaneous determination of Aβ1-42,Aβ1-40 and A β1-38 in cerebrospinal fluid / 中华检验医学杂志

Objective:To establish and validate an LC-MS/MS method for simultaneous determination of Aβ 1-42, Aβ 1-40, and Aβ 1-38 in cerebrospinal fluid. Additionally, the consistency between this method and three mainstream detection methods was evaluated.Methods:This study involved method establishment, validation, and consistency evaluation. The N15 labeled β-amyloid protein was used as the internal standard. Extraction was performed using Waters MCX 96-wells solid phase extraction plate, and the eluent was collected to QuanRecovery MaxPeak 700 μl plate. At the positive ion mode, the multi-reaction ion monitoring mode based on electric spray ionization is chosen for the determination of CSF Aβ 1-42, Aβ 1-40, and Aβ 1-38. Referring to the CLSI C62-A and EP-15A3 guidelines, the method is evaluated and verified, including quantitation of limit (LOQ), linearity, recovery, precision, and accuracy. In addition, a total of 57 clinical residual CSF samples were collected and the concentrations of Aβ 1-42 and Aβ 1-40 were determined based on manual INNOTEST ELISA assay and Lumipulse G and Roche Elecsys fully automated biochemical analyzers. The comparison analysis and deviation evaluation were conducted by passing-bablok and Bland Altman methods.Results:The analysis time of this method is 8 min, and the LOQ of Aβ 1-42, Aβ1-40 and Aβ1-38 is 0.1 ng/ml, 0.5 ng/ml, and 0.1 ng/ml, respectively, and the linear range can meet the needs of clinical detection. Respectively, the recovery is 86.2%-93.8%, 100.9%-103.9% and 103.3%-107.1%; the total imprecision is 4.7%-7.4%, 3.5%-4.6% and 5.2%-10.9%. The measured values of Aβ 1-42 certified reference materials are all within the allowable uncertainty requirements. Moreover, the carryover rate of three analytes was all≤0.11%. In addition, the correlations of Aβ 1-42 and Aβ1-40 in CSF between this LC-MS/MS method and the INNOTEST ELISA method, Lumipulse G and Roche Elecsys fully automated biochemical analyzers were all deemed good, with correlation coefficient (r) ranging from 0.920 to 0.970. However, the measured values between the four methods were remarkably different.Conclusion:We established and validated a robust method based on LC-MS/MS technology for simultaneous determination of Aβ 1-42, Aβ 1-40, and Aβ 1-38 in CSF. The method is accurate, simple, and suitable for clinical measurements. However, despite good correlations, there were substantial differences in the measurement results of Aβ 1-42 and Aβ 1-40 among different analytical platforms, indicating the need for further promotion of harmonization and standardization processes for AD classic biomarkers.

Research progress on mitochondrial oxidative stress and corresponding targeted delivery systems in Alzheimer's disease / 药学学报

Mitochondrial oxidative stress has been recognized as a preliminary and critical factor that aggravates the pathological cascade of Alzheimer's disease, which induces the production of β-amyloid protein, upregulates the expression of phosphorylated tau protein and triggers oxidative damage to lipids, proteins and mitochondrial deoxyribonucleic acid. Central neurons are more vulnerable to oxidative stress than non-neuronal cells due to their high oxygen demand, abundant unsaturated fatty acids and antioxidant enzymes deficiency. On this account, this review introduces the causes of mitochondrial oxidative stress, and analyzes the important role of mitochondrial oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. Meanwhile, the review focuses on the design and intervention strategies of drug delivery systems targeting mitochondrial oxidative stress in neurons, aiming to provide new ideas for the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Changes in Ileal Flora Induced by Qishengwan in Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease： An Exploration Based on "Interior-Exterior Relationship Between Heart and Small Intestine" / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo explore the effect of Qishengwan on ileal flora during its treatment of Alzheimer's disease （AD） under the guidance of the theory of "interior-exterior relationship between heart and small intestine". MethodThe AD model was established by bilateral intraventricular injection of β-amyloid 1-42 （Aβ1-42）. The rats were then randomly divided into the blank group， sham-operated group， model group， low-， medium-， and high-dose （5.6， 11.2，22.4 g·kg-1·d-1） Qishengwan groups， and donepezil （0.46 mg·kg-1·d-1） group. After medication for 28 successive days， the spatial memory ability of rats was observed in water maze test， and the levels of Aβ1-42， nuclear transcription factor-κB （NF-κB）， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， and interleukin-6 （IL-6） in the hippocampus were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Additionally， the contents of the ileum were collected and subjected to 16SrRNA-sequencing analysis for figuring out the changes in ileal flora. ResultCompared with the blank group and sham-operated group， the model group exhibited significantly reduced stay time in the target quadrant and number of target quadrant and platform crossings （P<0.05， P<0.01） and elevated Aβ1-42 content in the hippocampus （P<0.01） and central inflammatory factors NF-κB， TNF-α， and IL-6 （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， Qishengwan at each dose significantly alleviated the impaired spatial memory function （P<0.05， P<0.01）， improved the deposition of Aβ1-42 in the hippocampus of rats （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and reduced the expression of central nervous system inflammatory factors （P<0.05， P<0.01）， thus exerting a good therapeutic effect on AD rats. The 16SrRNA-sequencing analysis results showed that the structure of the ileal flora in the model group was significantly separated from those in the blank group and sham-operated group. The abundance of Lachnospiraceae NK4A136 group was significantly increased （P<0.01）， while that of Escherichia-Shigella was reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Qishengwan at each dose significantly changed the ileal flora structure and regulated the relative abundance of Lachnospiraceae NK4A136 group， Escherichia-Shigella， and Ruminococcaceae. ConclusionQishengwan has a positive therapeutic effect on AD. It can significantly enhance the memory and cognitive abilities in AD rats， which may be related to its regulation of the structure of rat ileal flora and the relative abundance of Lachnospiraceae NK4A136 group， Escherichia-Shigella， and Ruminococcaceae， the attenuation of the central neuroinflammatory response， and the reduction of central Aβ1-42 deposition.

Effect of Aloe-emodin on Aβ42 Aggregation and Cytotoxicity in Presence of Al3+ / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo study the inhibitory effect of aloe-emodin （AE） on aluminum ion （Al3+）-induced β-amyloid protein 42 （Aβ42） aggregation and its depolymerization on formed Aβ42-Al3+ aggregates in vitro， and to investigate the effect of AE on the cytotoxicity of Aβ42 aggregation in the presence of Al3+. MethodThe Aβ42 group， Aβ42+Al3+ group， Aβ42+AE group， Aβ42+Al3++AE group and the depolymerization test group were set up in the experiment. The aggregation fibrosis process， aggregation morphology， aggregation size and cytotoxicity of Aβ42 in each group were detected by thioflavin T （ThT） fluorescence assay， transmission electron microscopy （TEM）， dynamic light scattering （DLS） experiment and thiazolyl blue （MTT） cytotoxicity assay. ResultCompared with the Aβ42 group， Al3+ could promote Aβ42 aggregation， increase the fluorescence intensity of ThT by 124.48%， induce the aggregation of Aβ42 to form fiber bundles with larger particle size， and significantly reduce the cell viability of human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells （P<0.01）， thus reducing the cell survival rate to 51.05%. AE not only inhibited Aβ42 aggregation， but also inhibited Al3+-induced Aβ42 aggregation in a concentration-dependent manner. Compared with the Aβ42+Al3+ group， high concentration of AE could reduce the ThT fluorescence intensity to 41.66%， and change the polypeptide aggregation pathway to form amorphous aggregates with small particle size. Besides， it significantly inhibited the cytotoxicity of Aβ42 induced by Al3+ （P<0.01）， and restored the cell survival rate to 84.87%. Further depolymerization was conducted， AE could depolymerize Aβ42-Al3+ aggregates to make the formed aggregates disappear and form some small-particle short fibers and amorphous structure aggregates with low toxicity. ConclusionAE can inhibit Aβ42 aggregation and cytotoxicity in the presence of Al3+， depolymerize the formed Aβ42-Al3+ aggregates and alleviate the cytotoxicity， thus laying the foundation for exploring the mechanism of AE in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Effect of Aloe-emodin on Aβ42 Aggregation and Cytotoxicity in Presence of Al3+ / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo study the inhibitory effect of aloe-emodin （AE） on aluminum ion （Al3+）-induced β-amyloid protein 42 （Aβ42） aggregation and its depolymerization on formed Aβ42-Al3+ aggregates in vitro， and to investigate the effect of AE on the cytotoxicity of Aβ42 aggregation in the presence of Al3+. MethodThe Aβ42 group， Aβ42+Al3+ group， Aβ42+AE group， Aβ42+Al3++AE group and the depolymerization test group were set up in the experiment. The aggregation fibrosis process， aggregation morphology， aggregation size and cytotoxicity of Aβ42 in each group were detected by thioflavin T （ThT） fluorescence assay， transmission electron microscopy （TEM）， dynamic light scattering （DLS） experiment and thiazolyl blue （MTT） cytotoxicity assay. ResultCompared with the Aβ42 group， Al3+ could promote Aβ42 aggregation， increase the fluorescence intensity of ThT by 124.48%， induce the aggregation of Aβ42 to form fiber bundles with larger particle size， and significantly reduce the cell viability of human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells （P<0.01）， thus reducing the cell survival rate to 51.05%. AE not only inhibited Aβ42 aggregation， but also inhibited Al3+-induced Aβ42 aggregation in a concentration-dependent manner. Compared with the Aβ42+Al3+ group， high concentration of AE could reduce the ThT fluorescence intensity to 41.66%， and change the polypeptide aggregation pathway to form amorphous aggregates with small particle size. Besides， it significantly inhibited the cytotoxicity of Aβ42 induced by Al3+ （P<0.01）， and restored the cell survival rate to 84.87%. Further depolymerization was conducted， AE could depolymerize Aβ42-Al3+ aggregates to make the formed aggregates disappear and form some small-particle short fibers and amorphous structure aggregates with low toxicity. ConclusionAE can inhibit Aβ42 aggregation and cytotoxicity in the presence of Al3+， depolymerize the formed Aβ42-Al3+ aggregates and alleviate the cytotoxicity， thus laying the foundation for exploring the mechanism of AE in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Pay attention to the diagnosis and treatment of cerebral amyloid angiopathy-related inflammation / 中华神经科杂志

Cerebral amyloid angiopathy-related inflammation is an inflammatory reaction process caused by beta-amyloid protein deposited in the cortical and leptomeningeal vessels, which is a rare type of cerebral amyloid angiopathy. Most of the patients are middle-aged and elderly, and manifest as progressive cognitive impairment, headache, seizures, and focal neurological deficits. Brain magnetic resonance imaging shows asymmetric T 2/fluid attenuated inversion recovery hyperintensity in cortical and subcortical white matter, in addition to multiple cerebral microbleeds. The disease often needs to be differentiated from primary angiitis of the central nervous system, glioma, and varicella-zoster virus encephalitis. Although the disease is rare, prompt treatment with glucocorticoids and immune suppressants can reduce death and disability and significantly improve outcome. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the ability of early diagnosis and treatment of this disease.

Role of β-amyloid protein in hypoxic/ischemic brain injury / 中华内分泌外科杂志

β-amyloid protein (Aβ) is produced from β-amyloid precursor protein under the action of β-secretase and γ-secretase. Aβ accumulates and aggregates, forms oligomers and fibrils, and deposits in the brain, leading to functional neuronal death and cognitive impairment. β- amyloid protein induces inflammatory response, oxidative stress, free radical damage, calciumion disorder and so on, resulting in neuronal necrosis and apoptosis. Recent studies show that β-amyloid also plays an important role in hypoxia/ischemic brain injury. We review the mechanism of β-amyloid protein in hypoxic/ischemic brain injury.

Recent progress of neuroprotective mechanisms of luteolin in Alzheimer's disease / 中国药理学通报

Luteolin is a widely distributed type of flavone herbsand vegetables, which has diverse pharmacological activities against human ailments including Alzheimer's disease(AD). Recently, luteolin has been the most widely studied phytochemicals for their neuroprotective effects against experimental models of AD. Luteolin also improves brain insulin sensitivity and neuroinflammation, which attenuates the phosphorylation of tau and the formation of tangles, and the tendency of Aβ to form deposits. Furthermore, luteolin has anti-oxidative stress and anti-apoptosis effect in AD. The present study aims at reviewing experimental studies and describing the possible underlying molecular mechanisms by which luteolin and the related compounds protect against AD.

Expression of serum soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 in patients with vascular dementia and its relationship with β-amyloid 1-42 and lipoprotein-associated phospholipase 2 / 中华老年医学杂志

Objective:To investigate the expression levels of serum soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2(sTREM2)in patients with vascular dementia(VD)and its relationship with β-amyloid 1-42(Aβ1-42)and lipoprotein-associated phospholipase 2(Lp-PLA2), as well as its value in diagnosis and differential diagnosis.Methods:A total of 152 patients with ischemic stroke receiving routine treatment in our hospital from January 2018 to January 2020 were included and divided into a VD group(n=76)and a non-VD group(n=76)according to evaluation from subsequent visits at 3 months.General data, Mini-Mental State Examination Scale(MMSE), Hachinski Ischemic Scale(HIS)scores, and the levels of biochemical indicators were compared and analyzed for the two groups.Results:There were statistically significant differences in lesion size between the VD group and the non-VD group( P<0.05). The MMSE score in the VD group was significantly lower than that in the non-VD group.The HIS score, serum levels of sTREM2[(3.34±1.18)μg/L and(2.78±1.25)μg/L, t=2.121, P=0.036], Aβ1-42[(93.69±14.45)ng/L and(81.24±14.21)ng/L, t=4.003, P<0.001]and Lp-PLA2 levels[(58.67±14.15)μg/L and(43.18±13.86)μg/L, t=5.096, P<0.001]were significantly higher in patients with VD than in patients without VD( P<0.05). Serum sTREM2 was positively correlated with Aβ1-42( r=0.723, P<0.001)and Lp-PLA2( r=0.714, P<0.001), and Aβ1-42 was positively correlated with Lp-PLA2( r=0.698, P<0.001)in VD patients.The cut-off value, sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve of serum sTREM2 for differentiating VD from non-VD were 3.96 μg/L, 81.30%, 78.40%, and 0.838, respectively. Conclusions:Serum sTREM2 is abnormally elevated in VD patients, and is significantly correlated with Aβ1-42 and LP-PLA2, thus STREM2 may be an indicator in the differential diagnosis of VD and non-VD.

Abdominal acupoint thread embedding therapy based on "brain-intestinal connection" for mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease and its effects on serum levels of APP and Aβ / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To compare the clinical efficacy of abdominal acupoint thread embedding therapy based on "brain-intestinal connection" combined with donepezil hydrochloride tablets and oral donepezil hydrochloride tablets alone for mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD) and observe its effects on amyloid precursor protein (APP) and β-amyloid protein@*METHODS@#Sixty patients with AD were randomly divided into an observation group (30 cases, 3 cases dropped off) and a control group (30 cases, 3 cases dropped off). The patients in the control group were treated with donepezil hydrochloride tablets (5 mg per day); based on the treatment in the control group, the patients in the observation group were treated with abdominal acupoint thread embedding therapy at Zhongwan (CV 12), Xiawan (CV 10), Huaroumen (ST 24), Wailing (ST 26), Daheng (SP 15), etc., once every 10 days. Both groups were treated for 2 months. The mini-mental state examination (MMSE), Alzheimer's disease assessment scale-cognitive subscale (ADAS-Cog), activity of daily living scale (ADL), neuropsychiatric inventory questionnaire (NPI) as well as the serum levels of APP and Aβ@*RESULTS@#After treatment, the MMSE scores in the two groups were higher than those before treatment (@*CONCLUSION@#The abdominal acupoint thread embedding therapy based on the theory of "brain-intestinal connection" combined with donepezil hydrochloride tablets can improve cognitive function, self-care ability of daily life and mental behavior, and reduce the serum levels of APP and Aβ

The effect of aquaporin 4 regulated by microRNA-320a on a cell model of Alzheimer′s disease / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

Objective:To explore the effect of aquaporin 4 (AQP4) regulated by miR-320a on a cell model of Alzheimer′s disease.Methods:A rat adrenal pheochromocytoma cell line (PC12) was induced into neurons using nerve growth factor (NGF). The morphology of the PC12 cells and the neurons was observed, and ubiquitin carboxy terminal hydrolase L1 (Uch-L1) and neurofilament protein (NFP) were detected. Levels of microtubule-associated protein (MAP2) and AQP4 target genes were related to the mRNA expression of NFP to determine the neuron-inducing effect. The neurons were then randomly divided into a control group (given no treatment), an miR-320a mimic transfection group (cultured by adding 50nmol/L miR-320a as a mimic agent), an miR-320a inhibitor group (cultured by adding 50nmol/L miR-320a as an inhibitor), an Aβ treatment group (cultured by adding Aβ), an Aβ+ miR-320a mimic group (cultured by adding both 50nmol/L miR-320a and Aβ), and an Aβ+ miR-320a inhibitor group (also cultured by adding Aβ, but with 50nmol/L miR-320a as an inhibitor). Cell activity was measured by the CCK8 method. Reverse-transcription polymerase chain reactions were used to detect the relative expression of the target gene miR-320a, AQP4, B-cell bcl2-associated X (Bax), and B-cell bcl-2 (Bcl-2) mRNA. Western blotting was employed to detect the relative expression of AQP4, Bax and Bcl-2 proteins.Results:After PC12 was induced by 50μg/L NGF, the expression of Uch-L1 genes in the induced neuron was significantly down-regulated compared with the PC12. The expressions of NFP, MAP2 and AQP4 genes were significantly up-regulated, and the relative expressions of MAP2 and AQP4 proteins increased significantly. Compared with the control group, the apoptosis and cell activity of neurons in the treatment group increased, the mRNA and protein expressions of miR-320a, AQP4, bcl-2, AQP4 and Bcl-2 decreased significantly, and the mRNA and protein expressions of Bax increased significantly. Compared with the Aβ-treated group, the cell activity of the Aβ+ Mir-320a mimic group increased significantly, the mRNA and protein expressions of miR-320a, AQP4 and Bcl-2 increased significantly, and the mRNA and protein expressions of Bax decreased significantly. Compared with the Aβ+ miR-320a mimic group, the cell activity of the Aβ+ miR-320a inhibitor group decreased significantly, the mRNA and protein expressions of miR-320a, AQP4 and Bcl-2 decreased significantly, and the mRNA and protein expressions of Bax increased significantly.Conclusion:miR-320a can up-regulate AQP4 expression in a cell model of Alzheimer′s disease, reduce apoptosis and increase the cell survival rate.

Physalin B reduces Aβ secretion through down-regulation of BACE1 expression by activating FoxO1 and inhibiting STAT3 phosphorylation / 中国天然药物

Physalin B (PB), one of the major active steroidal constituents of Solanaceae Physalis plants, has a wide variety of biological activities. We found that PB significantly down-regulated β-amyloid (Aβ) secretion in N2a/APPsw cells. However, the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. In the current study, we investigated the changes in key enzymes involved in β-amyloid precursor protein (APP) metabolism and other APP metabolites by treating N2a/APPsw cells with PB at different concentrations. The results indicated that PB reduced Aβ secretion, which was caused by down-regulation of β-secretase (BACE1) expression, as indicated at both the protein and mRNA levels. Further research revealed that PB regulated BACE1 expression by inducing the activation of forkhead box O1 (FoxO1) and inhibiting the phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3). In addition, the effect of PB on BACE1 expression and Aβ secretion was reversed by treatment with FoxO1 siRNA and STAT3 antagonist S3I-201. In conclusion, these data demonstrated that PB can effectively down-regulate the expression of BACE1 to reduce Aβsecretion by activating the expression of FoxO1 and inhibiting the phosphorylation of STAT3.

Two-dimensional Nanomaterials against β-Amyloid in the Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease / 中国生物化学与分子生物学报

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a prevalent progressive neurodegenerative disorder among the elderly. In the scientific community, the β-amyloid (Aβ) hypothesis is currently a widely-accepted model for AD pathogenesis. Removing Aβ, inhibiting Aβ aggregation and depolymerizing Aβ fibrils are proposed to provide useful strategies for the treatment of AD. However, most current drugs used for anti-Aβ therapy usually have inherent drawbacks that may limit their clinical applications. With the rise of nanotechnology nowadays, the application of two-dimensional nanomaterials in medicine has rapidly attracted much attention from researchers. Two-dimensional nanomaterials not only have excellent physical and chemical properties, as well as good biocompatibility, but also can easily cross either the cell membrane or blood-brain barrier. Recently, it has been found that many two-dimensional nanomaterials can inhibit Aβ aggregation or depolymerize Aβ fibrils by intermolecular interaction, near-infrared photothermal effect, photocatalytic oxidation, chelation of copper ions, drug delivery and other mechanisms, implying its great potential in treating AD. This review will focus on the research of graphene and graphene-like two-dimensional nanomaterials such as molybdenum disulfide, graphitic carbon nitride, and black phosphorus used for anti-Aβ therapy in the treatment of AD.

Study on the Mechanism of Sinapic Acid against PC 12 Cell Injury Induced by Aβ1-42 Based on PI 3K/Akt/GSK3β Signaling Pathway / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE：To investigate the mechanism of sinapic acid （SA）against PC 12 cell injury induced by Amyloid β1-42 protein（Aβ1-42）based on PI 3K/Akt/GSK3β signaling pathway. METHODS：PC12 cells of rats were randomly divided into control group，Aβ group（Aβ1-42 2 μmol/L），Aβ+SA group（Aβ1-42 2 μmol/L+SA100 μmol/L），Aβ+SA+LY group [Aβ1-42 2 μmol/L+SA 100 μmol/L+LY294002（PI3K inhibitor ）10 μmol/L]，Aβ+LY group（Aβ1-42 2 μmol/L+LY294002 10 μmol/L）and LY group （LY294002 10 μmol/L）. Except for control group and LY group ，the cells of other groups were replicated the damage model with Aβ1-42. After 24 hours of culture ，the morphology of cells was obsened in each group with a microscope ，and MTT assay was adopted to determine the cell viability of PC 12 cells in each group. Western blotting assay was used to detect the expression of PI 3K，p-PI3K， Akt，p-Akt，GSK3β and p-GSK3β in cells of each group. RESULTS：Compared with control group ，the number of cells decreased and some synaptic breaks disappeared in Aβ group while cell viability，ratio of p-PI 3K/PI3K，p-Akt/Akt and p-GSK 3β/GSK3β in Aβ group were decreased significantly（P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Compared with Aβ group，the cells became round and synapses became more in Aβ+SA group while cell viability，the ratio of p-PI 3K/PI3K，p-Akt/Akt and p-GSK 3β/GSK3β were increased significantly（P＜0.05）. Compared with Aβ+SA group，some synaptic breaks occurred in Aβ+SA+LY group while cell viability， the ratio of p-PI 3K/PI3K，p-Akt/Akt and p-GSK 3β/GSK3β were decreased significantly（P＜0.05）；Aβ+LY group had more cell debris，and t he cell viability was decreased ，but the difference was not significant ，and the ratio of p-PI 3K/PI3K，p-Akt/Akt and p-GSK3 β/GSK3 β had no significant change （P＞0.05）; LY294002 alone had no significant effect on morphology ，cellviability and the ratio of p-PI 3K/PI3K，p-Akt/Akt or p-GSK 3β/ GSK3 β （P＞0.05）. CONCLUSIONS ： SA may play aprotective role against PC 12 cell injury induced by A β 1-42 through activating PI 3K/Akt/GSK-3β.