title: Neuroprotective effect and mechanism of daucosterol palmitate in ameliorating learning and memory impairment in a rat model of Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an age-related neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive memory decline and cognitive impairment. Amyloid beta (Aβ) has been proposed as the causative role for the pathogenesis of AD. Accumulating evidence demonstrates that Aβ neurotoxicity is mediated by glutamate excitotoxicity. Daucosterol palmitate (DSP), a plant steroid with anti-glutamate excitotoxicity effect, was isolated from the anti-aging traditional Chinese medicinal herb Alpinia oxyphylla Miq. in our previous study. Based on the anti-glutamate excitotoxicity effect of DSP, in this study we investigated potential benefit and mechanism of DSP in ameliorating learning and memory impairment in AD model rats. Results from this study showed that DSP administration effectively ameliorated Aβ-induced learning and memory impairment in rats, markedly inhibited Aβ-induced hippocampal ROS production, effectively prevented Aβ-induced hippocampal neuronal damage and significantly restored hippocampal synaptophysin expression level. This study suggests that DSP may be a potential candidate for development as a therapeutic agent for AD cognitive decline.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, Dalian University, Dalian 116622, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Zhi-Hong
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, Dalian University, Dalian 116622, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Zhong-Qi
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, College of Medicine, Dalian University, Dalian 116622, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, Dalian University, Dalian 116622, People's Republic of China. Electronic address: xybio@sina.com.
authors.forename: Xin-Yu
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000633:toxicity; D000818:Animals; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D012855:Sitosterols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016708:Synaptophysin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D012855:Sitosterols; D016708:Synaptophysin
keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; Daucosterol palmitate; Hippocampal neurons; Learning and memory; Reactive oxygen species; Synaptophysin