Qifu-yin activates the Keap1/Nrf2/ARE signaling and ameliorates synaptic injury and oxidative stress in APP/PS1 mice.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The traditional medicinal formulation, Qifu-yin (QFY), has been widely prescribed for Alzheimer's disease (AD) treatment in China, yet the comprehensive mechanisms through which QFY mitigates AD pathology remain to be fully delineated. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aimed to explore the therapeutic implications of QFY on the synaptic injury and oxidative stress in the hippocampus of APPswe/PS1dE9 (APP/PS1) mice, with a concerted effort to elucidate the molecular mechanisms related to synaptic preservation and memory improvement. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The components of QFY were identified by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). The neuroprotective effects of QFY was evaluated using six-month-old male APP/PS1 mice. Subsequent to a 15 days of QFY regimen, spatial memory was assessed utilizing the Morris water maze (MWM) test. Amyloid-beta (Aß) aggregation was detected via immunostaining, while the quantification of Aß1-40 and Aß1-42 was achieved through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to investigate the synaptic structure and mitochondrial morphology. Golgi staining was applied to examine dendritic spine density. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT) and 4-hydroxy-nonenal (4-HNE) assays were employed to assess oxidative stress. The expression profiles of Aß metabolism-associated enzymes and the Keap1/Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway were determined by Western blot. RESULTS: A total of 20 principal compounds in QFY were identified. QFY mitigated memory deficits of APP/PS1 mice, including reducing escape latency and search distance and increasing the time and distance spent in the target quadrant. In addition, QFY increased platform crossings of APP/PS1 mice in the probe trial of MWM tests. TEM analysis showed that QFY increased synapse number in the CA1 region of APP/PS1 mice. Further studies indicated that QFY elevated the expression levels of Post synaptic density protein 95 (PSD95) and synaptophysin, and mitigated the loss of dendritic spine density in the hippocampus of APP/PS1 mice. QFY has been shown to ameliorated the structural abnormalities of mitochondria, including mitochondrial dissolution and degradation, up-regulate ATP synthesis and membrane potential in the hippocampus of APP/PS1 mice. Moreover, QFY activated the Keap1/Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway in the hippocampus of APP/PS1 mice, which might contribute to the neuroprotective effects of QFY. CONCLUSION: QFY activates the Keap1/Nrf2/ARE signaling, and protects against synaptic and mitochondrial dysfunction in APP/PS1 mice, proposing a potential alternative therapeutic strategy for AD management.

Protective Effect of Compound Tongluo Decoction on Brain Vascular Endothelial Cells after Ischemia-Reperfusion by Inhibition of Ferroptosis Through Regulating Nrf2/ARE/SLC7A11 Signaling Pathway.

Cerebral infarction is one of the most common diseases for aged people. Compound Tongluo Decoction (CTLD), a classic traditional Chinese Medicine prescription, has been widely used in the treatment of ischemic cerebral infarction. Transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) rat model is established for the animal experiment and oxygen-glucose deprivation and reperfusion (OGD/R) human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) model are established for the cell experiment. This also use Nrf2-/- rats to detect the role of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2). Longa score, Evans blue staining, brain water content measurement, and histological observation are done. The levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and other ferroptosis-related components are detected respectively. In the vivo experiment, CTLD relieved ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury symptoms and attenuated IR injury in brain tissues of tMCAO rats by relieving peroxidation injury in brain tissues and inhibiting ferroptosis in tMCAO rats. Moreover, CTLD reversed OGD/R-induced oxidative damage of endothelial cells via suppressing ferroptosis. After knocking out the Nrf2 gene, the protective effect of CTLD is sharply reduced. This study put forward that CTLD can inhibit ferroptosis in I/R-injured vascular endothelium by regulating Nrf2/ARE/SLC7A11 signaling to improve the relative symptoms of rats after cerebral I/R injury, thus providing a viable treatment option for cerebrovascular disease.

Transcriptome sequencing and network pharmacology-based approach to reveal the effect and mechanism of Ji Chuan Jian against Parkinson's disease.

BACKGROUND: Ji Chuan Jian (JCJ), a classic Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) formula, has been widely applied in treating Parkinson's disease (PD) in China, However, the interaction of bioactive compounds from JCJ with the targets involved in PD remains elusive. METHODS: Based on the transcriptome sequencing and network pharmacology approaches, the chemical compounds of JCJ and gene targets for treating PD were identified. Then, the Protein-protein interaction (PPI) and "Compound-Disease-Target" (C-D-T) network were constructed by using of Cytoscape. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis were applied to these target proteins. Finally, AutoDock Vina was used for applying molecular docking. RESULTS: In the present study, a total number of 2669 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between PD and healthy controls using whole transcriptome RNA sequencing. Then, 260 targets of 38 bioactive compounds in JCJ were identified. Of these targets, 47 were considered PD-related targets. Based on the PPI degree, the top 10 targets were identified. In C-D-T network analysis, the most important anti-PD bioactive compounds in JCJ were determined. Molecular docking revealed that potential PD-related targets, matrix metalloproteinases-9 (MMP9) were more stably bound with naringenin, quercetin, baicalein, kaempferol and wogonin. CONCLUSION: Our study preliminarily investigated the bioactive compounds, key targets, and potential molecular mechanism of JCJ against PD. It also provided a promising approach for identifying the bioactive compounds in TCM as well as a scientific basis for further elucidating the mechanism of TCM formulae in treating diseases.

Compound Tongluo Decoction inhibits endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced ferroptosis and promoted angiogenesis by activating the Sonic Hedgehog pathway in cerebral infarction.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Cerebral infarction is one of the most common types of cerebrovascular diseases that threaten people's health. Compound Tongluo Decoction (CTLD), a traditional Chinese medicine formula, has various pharmacological activities, including the alleviation of cerebral infarction symptoms. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aims to explore the potential mechanism by which CTLD alleviates cerebral infarction. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) rat model and oxygen-glucose deprivation and reperfusion (OGD/R) cell model were established for research. The expression of proteins related to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, ferroptosis, Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) pathway and angiogenesis was analyzed by Western blot analysis. The expression of CD31 was detected by immunofluorescence to investigate angiogenesis. In addition, the expression of GRP78 and XBP-1 in brain tissues was investigated by immunohistochemistry. With the application of Prussian blue staining, iron deposition in brain tissue was detected. The levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) were detected using ELISA kits. The angiogenesis was analyzed by tube formation assay. RESULTS: The results presented in this research showed that CTLD and 4-phenyl butyric acid (4-PBA; the inhibitor of ER stress) could alleviate cerebral infarction. Mechanistically, CTLD and 4-PBA rescued ER stress and ferroptosis, but promoted SHH signaling in rats with cerebral infarction. In addition, cerebral infarction exhibited a high level of angiogenesis, which was aggravated by CTLD but suppressed by 4-PBA. Furthermore, CTLD inhibited ER stress and ferroptosis, but promoted SHH signaling and angiogenesis in OGD/R-induced PC12 cells, which was partly abolished by SANT-1, an antagonist of SHH signaling. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, this study revealed that CTLD might inhibit ferroptosis induced by endoplasmic reticulum stress and promote angiogenesis by activating the Sonic Hedgehog pathway in rats with cerebral infarction.

UHPLC-MS-based metabolomics and chemoinformatics study reveals the neuroprotective effect and chemical characteristic in Parkinson's disease mice after oral administration of Wen-Shen-Yang-Gan decoction.

Parkinson's disease (PD), the typical neurodegenerative disease, is characterized by the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (SN). However, no therapeutic agent used currently could slow down neuronal cell loss so as to decelerate or halt the progression of PD. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been utilized to treat the dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system. Wen-Shen-Yang-Gan decoction (WSYGD) has a good effect on the clinical treatment of PD with constipation. However, it is not clear which ingredients and what mechanism are responsible for the therapeutic effect. In this study, the pharmacodynamic study of WSYGD in PD mice was applied. Concurrently, a novel method for the identification of metabolic profiles of WSYGD has been developed. Finally, we found that WSYGD could protect the PD mice induced by rotenone. The underlying mechanism of the protective effect may be related to the reduction of the DA neurons apoptosis via reducing inflammatory reaction. By virtue of UPLC-MS and chemoinformatics method, 35 prototype compounds and 27 metabolites were filtered out and tentatively characterized. In conclusion, this study provides an insight into the metabolism of WSYGD in vivo to enable understanding of the metabolic process and therapeutic mechanism of PD.

Synergic Neuroprotection Between Ligusticum Chuanxiong Hort and Borneol Against Ischemic Stroke by Neurogenesis via Modulating Reactive Astrogliosis and Maintaining the Blood-Brain Barrier.

Background: Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort (LCH) is a famous ethnomedicine in Asia known for its excellent output on stroke treatment, and borneol usually acts as an assistant for its reducing permeability of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) after stroke. Although their synergy against brain ischemia was verified in previous studies, the potential mechanism is still unknown. Methods: The research aimed to explore the exact synergic mechanisms between LCH and borneol on neurogenesis within the areas of the dentate gyrus and subventricular zone. After treating middle cerebral artery occlusion rats with LCH (0.1 g/kg) and/or borneol (0.08 g/kg), the neurological severity score, brain infarct ratio, Nissl staining, Evans blue permeability, BBB ultrastructure, and expressions of von Willebrand factor and tight junction-associated proteins were measured. Co-localizations of Nestin+/BrdU+ and doublecortin+/BrdU+, and expressions of neuronal nuclei (NeuN) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) were observed under a fluorescence microscope. Moreover, astrocyte polarization markers of complement component 3 and pentraxin 3, and relevant neurotrophins were also detected by immunoblotting. Results: Basically, LCH and borneol had different focuses, although both of them decreased infarct areas, and increased quantity of Nissl bodies and expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor. LCH increased the neurological severity score, NeuN+ cells, and the ratios of Nestin+/BrdU+ and doublecortin+/BrdU+, and decreased GFAP+ cells and ciliary neurotrophic factor expression. Additionally, it regulated the expressions of complement component 3 and pentraxin 3 to transform astrocyte phenotypes. Borneol improved BBB ultrastructure and increased the expressions of von Willebrand factor, tight junction-associated proteins, vascular endothelial growth factor, and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2. Unexpectedly, their combined therapy showed more obvious regulations on the Nissl score, Evans blue permeability, doublecortin+/BrdU+, NeuN+ cells, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and vascular endothelial growth factor than both of their monotherapies. Conclusions: The results indicated that LCH and borneol were complementary to each other in attenuating brain ischemia by and large. LCH mainly promoted neural stem cell proliferation, neurogenesis, and mature neuron preservation, which was probably related to the transformation of reactive astrocytes from A1 subtype to A2, while borneol preferred to maintain the integrity of the BBB, which provided neurogenesis with a homeostatic environment.

Neuroprotective Effects and Related Mechanisms of Echinacoside in MPTP-Induced PD Mice.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the neuroprotective effect and the related mechanisms of echinacoside (ECH) in 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced Parkinson's disease (PD) mice. METHODS: Parkinson's disease is induced in mice by MPTP and the neurobehaviors of mice in different groups are observed. Then, immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis are adopted to measure the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and α-synuclein in the substantia nigra (SN). The content of dopamine (DA) and other neurotransmitters in the brain is detected by high-performance liquid chromatography. The expression of nerve growth factors and inflammatory factors in SN in mice in each group is measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Finally, the expression of oxidative stress-related parameters in each group is measured. RESULTS: Compared with the model group, the pole-climbing time among mice in the moderate and high-dose ECH groups is significantly reduced (P < 0.01). The rotarod staying time, as well as fore and hind-limb strides, shows a significant increase (P < 0.01), as does spontaneous activity (P < 0.01). Moreover, the expression levels of TH, DA, glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor in SN in mice show significant increases in these two groups (P < 0.01). The content of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase indicates significant increases in the low, moderate, and high-dose ECH groups (P < 0.01), and the content of MDA was reduced (P < 0.01). In the high-dose ECH group, the expression of interleukin (IL) 6 and tumor necrosis factor-α is significantly reduced (P < 0.01), while the expression of IL-10 shows a marked increase (P < 0.01) alongside a decrease in the expression of α-synuclein (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Echinacoside improves neurobehavioral symptoms in PD mice and significantly increases the expression of TH and DA. The neuroprotective effect potentially correlates with anti-inflammation and anti-oxidation actions, promotes the expression of nerve growth factor, and reduces the accumulation of α-synuclein.

Mechanism of Autophagy Regulation in MPTP-Induced PD Mice via the mTOR Signaling Pathway by Echinacoside.

OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to investigate the effect of echinacoside on autophagy-related indicators through the mTOR signaling pathway, especially the effect on the clearance of autophagy substrate P62 and α-synuclein, the core pathological products of Parkinson's disease (PD), to provide new strategies for the treatment of PD. METHODS: A mouse model of subacute PD was established by the intraperitoneal injection of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). First, the neurobehavioral symptoms in mice of each group were evaluated, and the monoamine neurotransmitters in the striatum in each group were measured with a high-performance liquid phase. Immunofluorescence double staining was adopted to observe the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), α-synuclein, and LC3. The transmission electron microscope was used to observe the changes of ultrastructure in substantia nigra and the formation of autophagosomes. Then, the expressions of TH, α-synuclein, Beclin 1, LC3, P62, mTOR, and the up-stream protein AKT were detected by Western blot. RESULTS: When compared with the model group, the neurobehavioral function significantly improved in the echinacoside group (P < 0.01), together with increased expression of TH, DA, and DOPAC in the brain (P < 0.01). In the echinacoside group, while the expressions of Beclin 1 and LC3-II increased (P < 0.01), the expression levels of P62 and α-synuclein decreased significantly (P < 0.01). Echinacoside could up-regulate the expression level of the survival signal p-AKT/AKT and decrease the expression of mTOR. CONCLUSION: Echinacoside could increase autophagy by inhibiting the expression of mTOR, thereby promoting the clearance of α-synuclein and the degradation of the autophagy substrate P62 and exerting the neuroprotective effect.

Effect of Wenshen-Yanggan Decoction on Movement Disorder and Substantia Nigra Dopaminergic Neurons in Mice with Chronic Parkinson's Disease.

This study aimed to explore the protective effects of Wenshen-Yanggan decoction on dopaminergic (DA) neuron injury in a rotenone-induced mouse model with chronic Parkinson's disease (PD) and explore its mechanism of action. Ultraperformance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) was used to measure the content of six main components in the Wenshen-Yanggan decoction. The chronic PD mouse model was established by treating 10-month-old healthy wild C57BL/6 male mice with rotenone 30 mg/kg/day for 28 days in succession. The pole test and rotarod test were applied to detect the rescue effect of Wenshen-Yanggan decoction in high, medium, and low dosages, respectively, on PD-like behaviors in mice with chronic PD. The protective effect of Wenshen-Yanggan decoction on the mesencephalic nigrostriatal DA neuron injury was determined employing tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunofluorescence staining. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was adopted to measure the inflammatory cytokines in serum, including TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor-alpha), IFN-γ (interferon gamma), NF-κB (nuclear factor kappa-B), and IL-1ß (interleukin-1 beta). Western blotting was performed to quantify the expression of phosphorylated c-Jun N-terminal kinase (p-JNK), cleaved caspase-3, B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), and NF-κB in the brain. Our results showed that the Wenshen-Yanggan decoction in high, medium, and low dosages reduced the turning time of mice (P < 0.01, P < 0.01, and P < 0.05). The high and medium dosages shortened the total climbing time of PD mice in the pole test (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05). Meanwhile, the high, medium, and low dosages increased the rod-standing time of PD mice in the rotarod test (P < 0.01, P < 0.05, and P < 0.05). Besides, the decoction reversed the decrease in TH-positive neurons induced by rotenone, upregulated TH protein expression, and downregulated the α-syn expression in the PD model. Moreover, the decoction in high dosage significantly inhibited the expression of p-JNK, cleaved caspase-3, and NF-κB in the midbrain of PD mice (P < 0.05, P < 0.05, and P < 0.01), upregulated the expression of Bcl-2 (P < 0.05), and decreased the content of TNF-α, IFN-γ, NF-κB, and IL-1ß in the serum (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, P < 0.001, and P < 0.001). Taken together, the Wenshen-Yanggan decoction could protect mice from rotenone-induced chronic PD, which might be related to the reduction of the DA neuron apoptosis via suppressing the inflammatory reaction and the neuronal apoptosis pathway.

Neuroprotective Effect of Echinacoside in Subacute Mouse Model of Parkinson's Disease.

OBJECTIVE: To study the protective effect of Echinacoside for 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) induced dopaminergic (DA) neurons injury in the subacute mouse model of Parkinson's disease (PD) and to explore its mechanism of action. METHODS: We chose 10 weeks of healthy wild type C57BL/6 male mice, hypodermic MPTP 30 mg/kg/day, five days, to prepare PD subacute mouse model. Behavior indexes of open field test and pole test were applied to examine the function of ECH to PD subacute mice model of PD sample action. The effects of ECH on dopaminergic neurons and astrocyte were examined using Immunohistochemistry including tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expression. The total numbers of TH-positive neurons and GFAP-positive cells in the substantia nigra pars compacts (SNpc) and ventral tegmental area (VTA) were obtained stereologically using the optical fractionator method. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method was used to detect the inflammatory cytokines in the serum, including TNF-α (Ttumor necrosis factor alpha) and IFN-γ (interferon gamma). Protein expressions of ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1 (IBA-1), TNF-α, Cleaved caspase-3, glial derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), and phosphorylated and total extracellular signal-regulated kinase (p-ERK and ERK) in the anatomical region of substantia nigra (SN) were tested by protein immunoblot method (i.e., Western blotting). RESULTS: ECH reversed the reduction of total distance in open field test in MPTP-induced PD model mice (P < 0.01), shortened the return time and total time of PD subacute model mice in pole test (P < 0.01, P < 0.05), significantly reversed the reduction of TH positive neurons induced by MPTP (P < 0.05), and reduced the activation of astrocytes (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, ECH significantly inhibited the expression of IBA-1, Cleaved caspase-3, and TNF-α in midbrain of MPTP model mice (P < 0.05, P < 0.05, and P < 0.05) and upregulated the expression of GDNF (P < 0.05). And ECH lowered the level of TNF-α and IFN-γ in serum (P < 0.05, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: ECH has protective effects on the MPTP subacute model mice, its mechanism may be through inhibiting activation of microglia and astrocytes, reducing inflammatory reaction and promoting the secretion of neurotrophic factors, and eventually resulting in the reduction of the DA neurons apoptosis.

Echinacoside protects against MPTP/MPP+-induced neurotoxicity via regulating autophagy pathway mediated by Sirt1.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common chronic neurodegenerative disease and greatly affects the quality of PD patients' life. Current symptomatic treatment of PD is limited. There are no effective treatment and drugs that could radically cure PD. Increasing experimental evidence has proven a causal relationship between alpha-synuclein (α-synuclein, α-syn) and the neuropathology of Parkinson's diseases, although the exact pathophysiological role of α-synuclein is not fully clarified. Previous studies showed that monomers and polymers of α-synuclein were secreted from damaged nerve cells via exocytosis and occupied healthy nerve cells via endocytosis, which afford evidence for the prion-like role of α-synuclein. Autophagy is the known mechanism for eukaryotic cells to degrade protein polymers and damaged organelles that proteasome does not cope with. Therefore, promoting the clearance of α-synuclein by enhancing autophagy in neuronal cells could be a promising treatment in the early stage of PD. SIRT1 is a potent regulator of autophagy, because it deacetylates a mass of important transcription factors such as Forkhead Box subgroup O (FoxO) transcription factors family. SIRT1's action relates to FoxO, because FoxO transcription factors are involved in various molecular pathways underlying neuronal protection and autophagy. Moreover, Sirt1 deacetylates proautophagic proteins such as Atg5, Atg7, and Atg8. Echinacoside (ECH) is the main active ingredient of a widely used Chinese herb cistanche, which has been proven to elicit neuroprotective effects in models of neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, we found that ECH could improve PD-like symptoms in MPTP-lesioned mouse model. We further showed that the underlying mechanism of the action of ECH was associated with enhancing autophagy in neurons via bind to Sirt1 directly and affect FoxO expression. Our study demonstrated ECH as a potential therapeutic agent against PD.

Sheng-Di-Da-Huang Decoction Inhibited Inflammation Expressed in Microglia after Intracerebral Hemorrhage in Rats.

OBJECTS: Sheng-Di-Da-Huang Decoction was used as an effective hemostatic agent in ancient China. However, its therapeutic mechanism is still not clear. Inflammatory injury plays a critical role in ICH-induced secondary brain injury. After hemolysis, hematoma components are released, inducing microglial activation via TLR4, which initiates the activation of transcription factors (such as NF-κB) to regulate expression of proinflammatory cytokine genes. This study aimed to verify the anti-inflammatory effects of Sheng-Di-Da-Huang Decoction on ICH rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Intracerebral hemorrhage was induced by injection of bacterial collagenase (0.2 U) in rats. Neurological deficits, brain water content, Evans blue extravasation, expression of TLR4, NF-κB, Iba-1 positive cells (activated microglia), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) were examined 1, 3, 7, and 14 days after collagenase injection. MR images were also studied. RESULTS: Sheng-Di-Da-Huang Decoction remarkably improved neurological function, reduced brain water content as well as Evans blue extravasation, downregulated expression of TLR4, NF-κB, TNF-α, and IL-1ß, and inhibited microglial activation. CONCLUSIONS: Sheng-Di-Da-Huang Decoction reduced inflammation reaction after ICH through inhibited inflammation expressed in microglia.

Jia-Jian-Di-Huang-Yin-Zi decoction exerts neuroprotective effects on dopaminergic neurons and their microenvironment.

As a classical prescription of Traditional Chinese medicine, the Jia-Jian-Di-Huang-Yin-Zi (JJDHYZ) decoction has long been used to treat movement disorders. The present study evaluated the effects of JJDHYZ on dopaminergic (DA) neurons and their survival-enhancing microenvironment as well as the possible mechanisms involved using a mouse model of Parkinson's disease. In MPTP-lesioned mice, a high dosage of JJDHYZ (34 g/kg/day) attenuated the loss of DA neurons, reversed the dopamine depletion, and improved the expression of glial-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) compared to the untreated model group. JJDHYZ also protected the ultrastructure of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and tight junction proteins by inhibiting the activation of microglia and astrocytes besides the increase in three types of matrix metalloproteinases in the substantia nigra. In conclusion, the JJDHYZ-high dosage (JJDHYZ-H) group exhibited the neuroprotection of DA neurons, and the underlying mechanism may be related to the survival-enhancing microenvironment of the DA neurons.

Apocynum venetum Leaf Extract Exerts Antidepressant-Like Effects and Inhibits Hippocampal and Cortical Apoptosis of Rats Exposed to Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stress.

We investigated the effects of Apocynum venetum leaf extract (AVLE) on depressive behaviors and neuronal apoptosis in a chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) rat model of depression. Rats were randomly divided into six groups: control, chronic unpredictable mild stress, fluoxetine, AVLE30, AVLE60, and AVLE120. Except for the control group, all rats were submitted to chronic unpredictable mild stress paradigms for four weeks to induce depressive behavior. Neuronal apoptosis was assessed by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase- (TDT-) mediated dUTP-biotin nick end-labeling (TUNEL) method. The expression levels of apoptosis-related proteins, such as B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), Bcl-2 Associated X Protein (Bax), cysteine-aspartic acid protease-3 and protease-9 (caspase-3 and caspase-9), cytochrome c (cyt-C), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and cAMP-response element binding (CREB) protein, were evaluated by western blot. Treatment with AVLE (60 or 120 mg/kg/day) significantly improved depressive behavior. Increased apoptosis of hippocampus and cortical neurons were observed in CUMS rats, while 120 mg/kg/day of AVLE significantly reversed these changes and achieved the best antidepressant-like effects among the doses tested. Moreover, AVLE (120 mg/kg) significantly increased Bcl-2, BDNF, and CREB protein expression and decreased Bax, cyt-C, and caspase family protein expression. Our results indicate that AVLE has potent antidepressant activity, likely due to its ability to suppress neuronal apoptosis.

Apocynum venetum leaf extract reverses depressive-like behaviors in chronically stressed rats by inhibiting oxidative stress and apoptosis.

BACKGROUND: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common but serious psychiatric disorder, but current treatments are inadequate for approximately half of the patients with MDD. Thus, better methods of treatment are urgently needed. This study aimed to investigate the antidepressant-like effects and potential mechanism of Apocynum venetum leaf extract (AVLE) in chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) rat model of depression. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The CUMS rat model of depression was used to investigate the antidepressant-like activity and relevant mechanism of AVLE (30, 60, and 125 mg/kg, i.g.). Behavioral tests, including sucrose preference test (SPT), open field test (OFT), and forced swimming test (FST) were conducted to assess anhedonic, despairing, and spontaneous behaviors, respectively. The activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis was evaluated by measuring the serum adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) and corticosterone (CORT) concentrations. The underlying mechanism was further explored by assessing oxidative stress parameters, cell apoptosis, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression in the rat hippocampus exposed to CUMS. RESULTS: The AVLE (36, 60, 125 mg/kg) treatment exerted antidepressant-like effects in CUMS-exposed rats similar to fluoxetine (10 mg/kg). The AVLE treatment reduced the serum CORT and ACTH levels in CUMS rats. It also increased the activities and gene expression of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, and GPx) and decreased the ROS generation levels and the lipid peroxidation marker MDA in the rat hippocampus subjected to CUMS. Additionally, it suppressed the apoptosis of hippocampus cells by modulating Bcl-2/Bax pathways and improved the hippocampal BDNF expressions of CUMS rats. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggested that AVLE exerted antidepressant-like effects in CUMS rats, which was possibly mediated by the prevention of oxidative stress, the inhibition of hippocampal neuronal apoptosis, and the upregulation of the hippocampal BDNF level.

Jia-Jian-Di-Huang-Yin-Zi decoction reduces apoptosis induced by both mitochondrial and endoplasmic reticulum caspase12 pathways in the mouse model of Parkinson's disease.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: As a classical prescription of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Jia-Jian-Di-Huang-Yin-Zi decoction (JJDHYZ) has been used to treat the symptoms of neurological disorders with a long history. AIM OF THE STUDY: To evaluate the effects and possible mechanisms of JJDHYZ on a 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced subacute mouse model of Parkinson's disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Adult male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into five groups: control, MPTP, JJDHYZ low dosage (JJDHYZ-L, 8.5g/kg/day), medium dosage (JJDHYZ-M, 17g/kg/day) and high dosage (JJDHYZ-H, 34g/kg/day). Behavioral tests, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were conducted to evaluate the neuroprotective effects of JJDHYZ. The mechanism was further explored using TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling staining and transmission electron microscopy. The protein expression of Bax, Bcl-2, cytochrome c, full-length caspase9, cleaved caspase9, cleaved caspase3, caspase12 and C/EBP homologous protein was assessed. The toxicity on hepatocytes and renal cells was detected using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. RESULTS: JJDHYZ-H restored the behavior performance impaired by MPTP, and reduced the loss of tyrosine hydroxylase. Additionally, it blocked the apoptosis, activated cleaved caspase3 and protected the ultrastructural integrity of mitochondria by regulating the expression of proteins in both mitochondrial and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) caspase12 pathways. CONCLUSIONS: JJDHYZ-H showed behavior recovery and dopamine neuron protection by inhibiting the apoptotic activities associated with mitochondrial and ER caspase12 pathways.

Neuroprotective Effects of Echinacoside on Regulating the Stress-Active p38MAPK and NF-κB p52 Signals in the Mice Model of Parkinson's Disease.

Herbal medicines have long been used to treat Parkinson's disease (PD). To systematically analyze the anti-parkinsonian activity of echinacoside (ECH) in a neurotoxic model of PD and provide a future basis for basic and clinical investigations, male C57BL/6 mice were randomized into blank control, PD model and ECH-administration groups. ECH significantly suppressed the dopaminergic neuron loss (P < 0.01) caused by MPTP and maintained dopamine content (P < 0.01) and dopamine metabolite content (P < 0.05) compared with that measured in mice with 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced damage. Additionally, ECH inhibited the activation of microglia and astrocytes in the substantia nigra, which suggested the involvement of neuroinflammation. The relevant cytokines were detected with a Proteome Profiler Array, which confirmed that ECH participated in the regulation of seven cytokines. Given that p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38MAPK) and NF-kappaB (NF-κB) signals are considered to be closely related to neuroninflammation, the gene expression levels of p38MAPK and six NF-κB DNA-binding subunits were assessed. Western blotting analysis showed that both p38MAPK and the NF-κB p52 subunit were upregulated in the MPTP group and that ECH downregulated their expressions. Minocycline was administered as the positive control to inhibit neuroinflammation, and no differences were detected between the minocycline- and ECH-mediated inhibition of the p38MAPK and NF-κB p52 signals. In conclusion, echinacoside is a potential novel orally active compound for regulating neuroinflammation and related signals in Parkinson's disease and may provide a new prospect for clinical treatment.

Subcutaneous rotenone rat model of Parkinson's disease: Dose exploration study.

Subcutaneous administration of rotenone has recently attracted attention because of its convenience, simplicity and efficacy in replicating features of Parkinson's disease (PD) in animal models. However, the wide range of doses reported in the literature makes it difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of this technique objectively. The aim of the present study was to identify the optimum dose of subcutaneous rotenone for establishing a model of PD. We injected male Wistar rats subcutaneously with one of three doses of rotenone (1.5, 2, or 2.5mg/kg) daily for 5 weeks. Rotenone caused a dose-dependent increase in α-synuclein in the substantia nigra. Furthermore, at 2 and 2.5mg/kg, rotenone caused a significant decrease in the number of tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive neurons in the substantia nigra, and dopamine in the striatum. However, mortality at 2.5mg/kg was 46.7%, compared with just 6.7% at 2mg/kg; the high mortality observed at 2.5mg/kg would limit its application. The 2mg/kg dose showed no detrimental effect on body weight after 5 weeks of daily injections. Furthermore, rats in the 2mg/kg group showed a longer latency to descend from a horizontal bar and a grid wall, decreased rearing, and shorter latency to fall from a rotarod than rats that received vehicle or saline. Mitochondrial damage, observed by transmission electron microscopy, was also evident at this dose. Together, our data indicate that daily subcutaneous injection of 2mg/kg rotenone in rats facilitates the formation of α-synuclein and reproduces the typical features of PD, while maintaining low mortality.

Synergic Effect of Borneol and Ligustrazine on the Neuroprotection in Global Cerebral Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury: A Region-Specificity Study.

The cooperation of ligustrazine (LI) and borneol was proved to be much better than each of them in treating cerebral ischemia. However, the mechanism of their synergic therapy is unclear till now. Moreover, whether their cooperation brought different degrees of protection among different brain regions was also unclear. In the present study, the effects of LI, borneol, and their mixture were observed in global cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (GCIR) injury by detecting microcirculation, expressions of caspase-3 and p53, levels of IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α, and contents of SOD, GSH-Px, and MDA in cortex, hippocampus, hypothalamus, and striatum, respectively. Furthermore, Nissl bodies were scored also. Monotherapy of LI or borneol showed obvious improvements in the four regions, specially in cortex and hippocampus. Interestingly, the cooperation of LI and borneol brought some new improvements, specially in hypothalamus and striatum. Thus, the synergic effect of the two drugs showed region-specificity in GCIR injury except the expressions of caspase-3 and p53.

PI3K/Akt pathway contributes to neuroprotective effect of Tongxinluo against focal cerebral ischemia and reperfusion injury in rats.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Tongxinluo (TXL), a compound prescription, is formulated according to the collateral disease doctrine of traditional Chinese medicine, and is widely used for the treatment of cardio-cerebrovascular diseases in China. AIM OF THE STUDY: We aimed to investigate the neuroprotective effect of TXL on focal cerebral ischemia and reperfusion injury in rats by attenuating its brain damage and neuronal apoptosis, and to assess the potential role of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) pathway in this protection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Adult Male Sprague-Dawley rats (n=120) were randomly divided into 5 groups: sham, cerebral ischemia and reperfusion (I/R), cerebral ischemia and reperfusion plus TXL (1.6g/kg/day) (TXL1.6), TXL1.6 plus LY294002 and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) (TXL1.6+LY294002), TXL1.6 plus DMSO (TXL1.6+vehicle). Prior to the grouping, TXL1.6 was selected to be the optimal dose of TXL by evaluating the neurological deficits score of five group rats (Sham, I/R, TXL0.4, TXL0.8 and TXL1.6, n=30) at 0, 1, 3, 5, and 7 days after reperfusion. Rats, being subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) for 90min followed by 24h reperfusion, were the cerebral ischemia/reperfusion models. At 24h after reperfusion, cerebral infarct area was measured via tetrazolium staining and neuronal damage was showed by Nissl staining. The double staining of Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine 5-triphosphate nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining and immunofluorescence labeling with NeuN, was performed to evaluate neuronal apoptosis. Proteins involved in PI3K/Akt pathway were detected by Western blot. RESULTS: The results showed that TXL markedly improved neurological function, reduced cerebral infarct area, decreased neuronal damage, and significantly attenuated neuronal apoptosis, while these effects were eliminated by inhibition of PI3K/Akt with LY294002. We also found that TXL up-regulated the expression levels of p-PDK1, p-Akt, p-c-Raf, p-BAD and down-regulated Cleaved caspase 3 expression notably, which were partially reversed by LY294002. Additionally, the increment of p-PTEN level on which LY294002 had little effect was also detected in response to TXL treatment. CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrated that TXL provided neuroprotection against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury and neuronal apoptosis, and this effect was mediated partly by activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway.