The Amazonian herbal Marapuama attenuates cognitive impairment and neuroglial degeneration in a mouse Alzheimer model.
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is expected to affect more than 22 million people worldwide by 2025, causing devastating suffering and enormous costs to families and society. AD is a multifactorial disease, with a complex pathological mosaic. In rodents, AD-like dementia can be induced by cerebral microinjection of Aβ peptide, leading to amyloid deposits, amnesia and various features of neurodegeneration. Marapuama (Ptychopetalum olacoides) is regarded as a "brain tonic" in the Amazon region and shows a nootropic profile in rodents.


OBJECTIVE
Because a specific extract (POEE) of Marapuama was shown to possess promnesic and anti-amnesic properties, the aim of this study was to verify if POEE is also effective against Aβ(1-42)-induced cognitive deficit in mice. Additionally, Aβ deposits (Congo red), GFAP immunoreactivity (immunohistochemistry), and neurodegenerative changes in the hippocampal pyramidal layer (Nissl) were examined as measures of Aβ(1-42)-induced neurodegeneration.


METHODS
CF1 mice were subjected to the experimental Alzheimer model with the Aβ(1-42) i.c.v. administration. The effects of POEE 800 mg/kg were evaluated over 14 consecutive days of treatment.


RESULTS
The data show that 14 days of oral treatment with POEE (800 mg/kg) was effective in preventing Aβ-induced cognitive impairment, without altering the levels of BDNF and with parallel reductions in Aβ deposits and astrogliosis. CA1 hippocampus loss induced by Aβ(1-42) was also diminished in POEE-treated mice.


CONCLUSIONS
This study offers evidence of functional and neuroprotective effects of two weeks treatment with a Ptychopetalum olacoides extract against Aβ peptide-induced neurotoxicity in mice. Given the multifactorial nature of neurodegeneration, the considerable potential for an AChE inhibitor displaying associated neuroprotective properties such as here reported warrants further clinic evaluation.
Figueiró
M
M
Laboratório de Etnofarmacologia, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Sarmento Leite 500, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. micheli.figueiro@gmail.com
Ilha
J
J
Linck
V M
VM
Herrmann
A P
AP
Nardin
P
P
Menezes
C B
CB
Achaval
M
M
Gonçalves
C A
CA
Porciúncula
L O
LO
Nunes
D S
DS
Elisabetsky
E
E
D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003704:Dementia / Q000188:drug therapy; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018450:Disease Progression; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000188:drug therapy*; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000473:pathology; D018697:Nootropic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D031656:Olacaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000494:pharmacology; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry
D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D018697:Nootropic Agents; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D010936:Plant Extracts; C075222:amyloid beta-protein (1-42)