title: Effects of caffeic acid on learning deficits in a model of Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: Caffeic acid is a type of phenolic acid and organic acid. It is found in food (such as tomatoes, carrots, strawberries, blueberries and wheat), beverages (such as wine, tea, coffee and apple juice) as well as Chinese herbal medicines. In the present study, we examined the effects of caffeic acid on learning deficits in a rat model of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The rats were randomly divided into three groups: i) control group, ii) AD model group and iii) caffeic acid group. Caffeic acid significantly rescued learning deficits and increased cognitive function in the rats with AD as demonstrated by the Morris water maze task. Furthermore, caffeic acid administration resulted in a significant decrease in acetylcholinesterase activity and nitrite generation in the rats with AD compared with the AD model group. Furthermore, caffeic acid suppressed oxidative stress, inflammation, nuclear factor‑κB‑p65 protein expression and caspase‑3 activity as well as regulating the protein expression of p53 and phosphorylated (p-)p38 MAPK expression in the rats with AD. These experimental results indicate that the beneficial effects of caffeic acid on learning deficits in a model of AD were due to the suppression of oxidative stress and inflammation through the p38 MAPK signaling pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The 148 Central Hospital of PLA, Zibo, Shandong 255300, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yunliang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Class of 2014 Graduate Students, Henan University School of Medicine, Kaifeng, Henan 475000, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yutong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The 148 Central Hospital of PLA, Zibo, Shandong 255300, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Jinfeng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450014, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Linlin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hua
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The 148 Central Hospital of PLA, Zibo, Shandong 255300, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The 148 Central Hospital of PLA, Zibo, Shandong 255300, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yuzhen
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450014, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xiaopeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450014, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Zhilei
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450014, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Hongying
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The 148 Central Hospital of PLA, Zibo, Shandong 255300, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Honglei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450014, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Jiyu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lou
mesh_terms: D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000378:metabolism; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000150:complications*; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D002109:Caffeic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007249:Inflammation / Q000517:prevention & control; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D009573:Nitrites / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D011897:Random Allocation; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D051996:Transcription Factor RelA / Q000378:metabolism; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002109:Caffeic Acids; D009573:Nitrites; D051996:Transcription Factor RelA; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase; D053148:Caspase 3; C040048:caffeic acid