title: Huannao Yicong Decoction () extract reduces inflammation and cell apoptosis in Aβ1-42-induced Alzheimer's disease model of rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Huannao Yicong Decoction (, HYD), an effective herbal formula against Alzheimer's disease (AD), has been proven to have neuroprotective action in amyloid β-protein1-42(Aβ1-42)-induced rat model. This study was designed to characterize mechanisms by which HYD leads to suppression of inflflammation and apoptosis in the brains of Aβ1-42-induced rat.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 72 rats were divided into 6 groups, which were referred to as: sham operation group, model group, donepezil-treated group, HYD low-dose group (HYDL), HYD middle-dose group (HYDM) and HYD high-dose group (HYDH). Rats in HYDL, HYDM and HYDH were injected with Aβ1-42at the CA1 region of hippocampus to form AD model and were fed the HYD extract at different dose of 3.78, 7.56 and 18.90 g crude drug/kg. The behavioral changes of rats were evaluated by Morris water maze (MWM) before sacrififice. Pathological changes of the brain tissue were evaluated using hematoxylin eosin (HE) staining. The levels of interleukin-1 (IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were measured by radioimmunoassay. The levels of Aβ and proteins that are associated with apoptosis such as B-cell lymphoma-2 protein (Bcl-2), Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax), cysteine-aspartic protease (caspase)-3, -8, -9 and -12 in serum were measured by immunohistochemistry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the sham operation group, the spatial learning and memory abilities of AD rats were signifificantly decreased (P<0.05 or P<0.01; Expressions of IL-1, TNF-α, Aβ and apoptosis-signaling proteins caspase-3, -8, -9, -12 were signifificantly up-regulated (P<0.05 or P<0.01). The ratio of Bcl-2 to Bax were signifificantly decreased in the model group (P<0.01). When treated with HYD extract, the spatial learning and memory abilities of AD-model rats were significantly increased (P<0.05 or P<0.01), IL-1, TNF-α, Aβ, caspase-3, -8, -9 and -12 were down-regulated (P<0.05 or P<0.01), and the ratio of Bcl-2 to Bax were reduced (P<0.05 or P<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HYD extract can improve the learning and memory ability defificits, alleviate the inflflammatory response and pathological manifestations induced by Aβ1-42injection in the rat model of AD. HYD down-regulates the levels of IL-1, TNF-α and Aβ, and decreases the rate of apoptosis by modulating apoptosis-signaling-related proteins such as caspase-3, -8, -9, and -12.
authors.affiliation: Gerontology Department, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100091, China.|Graduate School, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China.
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Gerontology Department, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100091, China. xyhplihao1965@126.com.
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Gerontology Department, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100091, China.
authors.forename: Fei-Xue
authors.initials: FX
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Gerontology Department, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100091, China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Gerontology Department, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100091, China.
authors.forename: Ji-Chang
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.affiliation: Gerontology Department, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100091, China.
authors.forename: Jian-Gang
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Gerontology Department, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100091, China.
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: Gerontology Department, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100091, China.
authors.forename: Mei-Xia
authors.initials: MX
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D065853:Spatial Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D007375:Interleukin-1; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D010936:Plant Extracts; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C075222:amyloid beta-protein (1-42); D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; C581246:huannao yicong; D020169:Caspases
keywords: Alzheimer's disease; Chinese medicine compound; Huannao Yicong Decoction; apoptosis; inflammation