title: Houttuynia cordata Improves Cognitive Deficits in Cholinergic Dysfunction Alzheimer's Disease-Like Models.
abstract: Cognitive impairment is a result of dementia of diverse causes, such as cholinergic dysfunction and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Houttuynia cordata Thunb. (Saururaceae) has long been used as a traditional herbal medicine. It has biological activities including protective effects against amyloid beta (Aβ) toxicity, via regulation of calcium homeostasis, in rat hippocampal cells. To extend previous reports, we investigated the effects of water extracts of H. cordata herb (HCW) on tauopathies, also involving calcium influx. We then confirmed the effects of HCW in improving memory impairment and neuronal damage in mice with Aβ-induced neurotoxicity. We also investigated the effects of HCW against scopolamine-induced cholinergic dysfunction in mice. In primary neuronal cells, HCW inhibited the phosphorylation of tau by regulating p25/p35 expression in Aβ-induced neurotoxicity. In mice with Aβ-induced neurotoxicity, HCW improved cognitive impairment, as assessed with behavioral tasks, such as novel object recognition, Y-maze, and passive avoidance tasks. HCW also inhibited the degeneration of neurons in the CA3 region of the hippocampus in Aβ-induced neurotoxicity. Moreover, HCW, which had an IC50 value of 79.7 μg/ml for acetylcholinesterase inhibition, ameliorated scopolamine-induced cognitive impairment significantly in Y-maze and passive avoidance tasks. These results indicate that HCW improved cognitive impairment, due to cholinergic dysfunction, with inhibitory effects against tauopathies and cholinergic antagonists, suggesting that HCW may be an interesting candidate to investigate for the treatment of AD.
authors.affiliation: College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University.
authors.forename: Eugene
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Huh
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy and Kyung Hee East-West Pharmaceutical Research Institute, Kyung Hee University ; Department of Life and Nanopharmaceutical Science, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 130-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hyo Geun
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Life and Nanopharmaceutical Science, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 130-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hanbyeol
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy and Kyung Hee East-West Pharmaceutical Research Institute, Kyung Hee University.
authors.forename: Min Seo
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy and Kyung Hee East-West Pharmaceutical Research Institute, Kyung Hee University.
authors.forename: Bongyong
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy and Kyung Hee East-West Pharmaceutical Research Institute, Kyung Hee University ; Department of Life and Nanopharmaceutical Science, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 130-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Myung Sook
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Oh
keywords: Amyloid beta; Cholinergic dysfunction; Cognitive impairment; Houttuynia cordata; Neuroprotection