Different processed products of Polygonati Rhizoma treat Alzheimer's disease in rats: urine metabolomics based on UPLC-Q/TOF-MS / 中国中药杂志

The study investigated the effects of different processed products of Polygonati Rhizoma(black bean-processed Polygonati Rhizoma, BBPR; stewed Polygonati Rhizoma, SPR) on the urinary metabolites in a rat model of Alzheimer's disease(AD). Sixty SPF-grade male SD rats were randomized into a control group, a model group, a donepezil group, a BBPR group, and a SPR group, with twelve rats in each group. Other groups except the control group were administrated with D-galactose injection(100 mg·kg~(-1)) once a day for seven weeks. The control group was administrated with an equal volume of normal saline once a day for seven consecutive weeks. After three weeks of D-galactose injection, bilateral hippocampal Aβ_(25-35) injections were performed for modeling. The rats were administrated with corresponding drugs(10 mL·kg~(-1)) by gavage since week 2, and the rats in the model and control group with an equal volume of double distilled water once a day for 35 continuous days. The memory behaviour and pathological changes in the hippocampal tissue were observed. The untargeted metabolites in the urine were detected by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q/TOF-MS). Principal component analysis(PCA) and orthogonal partial least square-discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA) were employed to characterize and screen differential metabolites and potential biomarkers, for which the metabolic pathway enrichment analysis was conducted. The results indicated that BBPR and SPR increased the new object recognition index, shortened the escape latency, and increased the times of crossing the platform of AD rats in the Morris water maze test. The results of hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining showed that the cells in the hippocampal tissue of the drug administration groups were closely arranged. Moreover, the drugs reduced the content of interleukin-6(IL-6, P<0.01) and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) in the hippocampal tissue, which were more obvious in the BBPR group(P<0.05). After screening, 15 potential biomarkers were identified, involving two metabolic pathways: dicoumarol pathway and piroxicam pathway. BBPR and SPR may alleviate AD by regulating the metabolism of dicoumarol and piroxicam.

Mechanism analysis of repeatedly steamed and sundried Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata in delaying brain aging in ovariectomized mice based on proteomics / 中国中药杂志

The present study explored the effect and mechanism of repeatedly steamed and sundried Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata(RRP) in delaying brain aging in ovariectomized mice. After ovariectomy, the mice were randomly divided into a model group, an estradiol valerate group(0.3 mg·kg~(-1)), and low-(1.0 g·kg~(-1)), medium-(2.0 g·kg~(-1)), and high-dose(4.0 g·kg~(-1)) RRP groups, and a sham operation group was also set up, with 15 mice in each group. One week after the operation, intragastric administration was carried out for 15 consecutive weeks. The step-down test and Morris water maze test were used to detect the behavioral changes of mice. HE staining and Nissl staining were used to observe the morphological changes of mouse brain tissues. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of Aβ and ER_β in mouse brain tissues. The serum estrogen levels and cholinesterase and cholinesterase transferase levels in brain tissues of mice were detected by assay kits. The extracted hippocampal protein was detected by the Nano-ESI-LC-MS system, identified by the Protein Discovery, and analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively by the SIEVE. The PANTHER Classification System was used for GO analysis and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis of the differential proteins. Compared with the sham operation group, the model group showed decreased learning and memory ability, shortened step-down latency(P<0.05), prolonged escape latency(P<0.05), reduced platform crossings and residence time in the target quadrant, scattered nerve cells in the hippocampus with enlarged intercellular space, increased expression of Aβ-positive cells(P<0.05), declining expression of ER_β-positive cells and estrogen level(P<0.05), and weakened cholinergic function(P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the RRP groups showed improved learning and memory ability, prolonged step-down latency(P<0.05), increased estrogen level(P<0.05), neatly arranged nerve cells in the hippocampus with complete morphology, declining Aβ-positive cells, and elevated expression of ER_β-positive cells. A total of 146 differential proteins were screened out by proteomics, and KEGG pathway enrichment yielded 75 signaling pathways. The number of proteins involved in the dopaminergic synapse signaling pathway was the largest, with 13 proteins involved. In summary, RRP can delay brain aging presumedly by increasing the level of estrogen, mediating the dopaminergic synapse signaling pathway, and improving cholinergic function.

Effect of Erjingwan on Hippocampal Proteomics in AD Rats with Kidney Yin Deficiency Induced by Ovariectomy+ D-Galactose Combined with Aβ1-40 / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective::To explore the effect of Erjingwan on the biological basis of kidney yin deficiency Alzheimer' s disease(AD)rats induced by ovariectomy+ D-galactose combined with amyloid beta1-40 (Aβ1-40). Method::After ovariectomy, rats were randomly divided into five groups: model group, positive group, Erjingwan high, medium and low dose group, 11 rats in each group, and 11 rats in sham operation group. One week after operation, D-galactose was injected intraperitoneally for 7 weeks, and four weeks after operation, Aβ1-40 was injected unilaterally into hippocampus. The rats in model group and sham-operation group were given saline by intragastric administration 3 weeks after operation. The rats in high, middle and low dose groups of Erjingwan were given corresponding concentration (9.0, 4.5, 2.25 g·kg-1). The rats in positive control group were given Donepezil 1.0 mg·kg-1 with dosage of 10 mL·kg-1 once a day for 35 consecutive days. After 30 days of administration, the learning ability of the rats were examined using a Y-maze. The hippocampus tissues of rats were isolated. The morphology of hippocampus was observed by Nissl staining.The proteins were detected by Nanol-ESI liquid-mass spectrometry system and identified by protein Discovery software. Relative quantitative and qualitative analysis of differential proteins in hippocampus was performed by SIEVE software, and Gene Ontology of differential protein was performed by PANTHER Classification System database. String analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)pathway enrichment were performed on the differential proteins. Result::Compared with model group, the correct rate of Y maze in the high and middle dose groups of Erjingwan was significantly raised(P<0.05), and the number of neurons in the hippocampal CA1 area was significantly increased(P<0.01).115 differential proteins (Ratio>1.5 or Ratio<0.5) such as Insulin-like growth factor 1 receptors(IGF-1R) were found in the high-dose group of the Erjingwan group as well as 94 differential proteins such as Synaptophysin expressed in the middle-dose group of the Erjingwan. And there are 87 differential proteins such as Acetyl-CoA acetyltransferase-cytosolic in the positive drug group. It showed that these proteins were mainly divided into tubule-related proteins, heat shock proteins, energy metabolism-related proteins and AD-related proteins with GO analysis. It was found that the above differential proteins involved 93 signaling pathways such as Dopaminergic synaps by KEGG analysis. Conclusion::Erjingwan can improve cognitive impairment and neuronal damage in rats with kidney yin deficiency, possibly by altering the expression of multiple pathway-associated proteins such as phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B signaling pathway(PI3K/Akt), insulin signaling pathway, and adenylate-activated protein kinase (AMPK)signaling pathway, estrogen signaling pathway, and Dopaminergic synapse.