[Effect of PNS on the activity and content of BACE1 in the brain of SAMP8 mice with Alzheimer's disease].
OBJECTIVE
To explore the effect of Panax notoginseng saponin (PNS) on the activity and content of beta-secretase in the brain of senescence accelerated mouse-prone 8 (SAMP8) mice with Alzheimer's disease.


METHODS
Totally 32 SAMP8 mice were randomly divided into the normal control group, the high dose PNS group (200 mg/kg), the low dose group (100 mg/kg), and the huperzine A group (0.3 mg/kg), 8 in each group. Equal volume of double distilled water was given to those in the normal control group. All medication was given by gastrogavage, once daily for two successive months. The activity of BACE1 was assayed by direct immunofluorescent method (DIF). The content of BACE1 protein was detected by Western blot.


RESULTS
The relative fluorescence units (RFU/microg) was 2.008 +/- 0.031 in the high dose PNS group, 2.221 +/- 0.029 in the low dose PNS group, and 2.267 +/- 0.076 in the huperzine A group, all lower than that in the normal control group (2.403 +/- 0.058; all P < 0.01). The content of BACE1 protein was 0.900 +/- 0.028 in the high dose PNS group, 1.000 +/- 0.032 in the low dose PNS group, and 0.837 +/- 0.080 in the huperzine A group, all lower than that in the normal control group (2.210 +/- 0.074, all P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
PNS higher than 100 mg/kg could decrease the activity of BACE1 and down-regulate the content of BACE1 protein in the brain of SAMP8 mice.
College of Pharmacology, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China.
Jin-Lan
JL
Huang
Lu
L
Lu
Dan
D
Huang
Deng-Pan
DP
Wu
Zhen-Guo
ZG
Zhong
D000375:Aging; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism*; D053829:Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D016282:Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism*; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D053723:Panax notoginseng; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D012503:Saponins / Q000494:pharmacology*
D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012503:Saponins; D053829:Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases; D016282:Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases; C509282:Bace1 protein, mouse