Abstract
Neuroinflammation is central to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). We previously showed that Naoling decoction (NLD), a traditional Chinese medicine, was effective against AD, acting by inhibiting expression of IL-1β and IL-6. In the present study, we generated the rat model of AD by injecting Aβ1–42 peptide intracerebroventricularly and evaluated the dose-dependent effects of NLD treatment. The NLD-treated rats exhibited significant improvements in cognitive function as evaluated by the Morris water maze test. Golgi-Cox staining revealed that NLD treatment dose-dependently increased dendritic spines in the CA1 region, which were diminished in vehicle-treated rats. Further, NLD treatment normalized hippocampal Chromogranin A levels, which were elevated by Aβ1-42 induction. NLD also attenuated activation of microglia and astrocytes induced by Aβ1-42. Subsequently, NLD dose-dependently reduced levels TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 by inhibiting the NF-κB signaling pathway and the ASC-dependent inflammasome in the hippocampus. These findings reveal that NLD is a promising therapeutic agent that exerts inhibitory effects at multiple sites within the neuroinflammatory network induced in AD.
Highlights
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an irreversible neurodegenerative disease that is clinically characterized as a cognitive disorder and is the leading cause of dementia in the elderly [1]
Naoling decoction (NLD)-M that had no significant difference in pIκBα and cytoplasmic/nuclear p65 expression compared to the NLD-L group showed stronger reduction in ASC and caspase-1 p20 than NLD-L (p < 0.05; Figure 7D, 7E). These results suggested that NLD treatment inhibited the activated NF-κB signaling pathway and formation of ASCdependent inflammasome in the hippocampus in a dosedependent manner. This is the first study in our knowledge to have investigated the effects of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatment on neuroinflammatory network in the AD brain
Our study in the AD rat model demonstrates that NLD has significant benefits
Summary
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an irreversible neurodegenerative disease that is clinically characterized as a cognitive disorder and is the leading cause of dementia in the elderly [1]. It is one of the big healthcare challenges of the 21st century with more than 40 million people affected worldwide and its incidence is expected to substantially increase [2]. By 2050, the AD patient cohort is expected to be 115 million, costing approximately €1.6 trillion per year [3] Inspite of this grave situation, no effective treatments are available for AD [1] and there is an urgent need for novel effective AD therapeutics [4]. Suppression of the neuroinflammation is a major therapeutic target for AD
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
