Lychee seed saponins improve cognitive function and ameliorate hippocampal neuronal injury in Alzheimer disease rat model induced by Aβ_(25-35) through AKT/GSK3β pathway

OBJECTIVE Lychee seed,a famous traditional Chinese medicine,recently were reported to improve the learning and memory abilities in mice.However,it is still unclear whether lychee seed saponins(LSS)can improve the cognitive function and associated mechanisms.METHODS In present studies,we established the Alzheimer disease(AD)model by injecting Aβ25-35 into the lateral ventricle of rats.Then the spatial learning and memory abilities of LSS-treated rats were evaluated with the Morris water maze,meanwhile the protein expressions of AKT,GSK3β and Tau in the hippocampal neuron were analyzed by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting.RESULTS The results showed LSS can improve the cognitive functions of AD rats through shortening the escape latency,increasing the number across the platform,platform quadrant dwell time and the percentage of the total distance run platform quadrant.The protein expression of AKT was significantly up-regulated and that of GSK3β and Tau were decreased remarkably in the hippocampal CA1 area.CONCLUSION Our study is the first to show that LSS significantly improve the cognitive function and prevent hippocampal neuronal injury of the rats with AD by activation of the PI3K/AKT/GSK3βsignaling pathway,suggesting LSS may be developed into the nutrient supplement for the treatment of AD.

Neuroprotective effect of LSS on Aβ_(1-42)-induced BV-2 microglial cells through the inhibition of neuroinflammation

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of neuroprotective effect of lychee seed saponins(LSS) in BV-2.METHODS Aβ_(1-42) induced BV-2 cells were incubated with LSS for 12 h,the content of the inflammatory factors such as IL^(-1)β,TNF-α,COX-2 and i NOS in the supernatant of BV-2 cell were measured by ELISA.The detection of the m RNA levels and the protein expression of the inflammatory factors including IL^(-1)β,TNF-α,COX-2 and i NOS using real-time PCR and Western blotting,respectively.RESULTS The level of IL^(-1)β,COX-2 and i NOS significantly increased with the treatment of Aβ_(1-42),and 0.117 mg·L^(-1)-0.469 mg·L^(-1) LSS can inhibit these increased level.CONCLUSION LSS conferred neuroprotection via inhibiting the inflammatory factors expression.

Onjisaponin B derived from Radix Polygalae enhances autophagy and accelerates the degradation of mutant α-Synuclein and Huntingtin in PC-12 cells

OBJECTIVE To investigate the autophagic effect of the compounds from the Chinese medicinal herbs,Radix polygalae as a potential neuroprotective agent that enhances the clearance of mutant Huntingtin andα-synuclein in PC-12 cells.METHODS Radix polygalae was extracted with 75%ethanol using refluxing method,and its quality was assayed by UHPLC-TOF-MS.The autophagic effect of Radix polygalae extract,and its major components including polygalacic acid,senegenin and onjisaponin B were investigated using the green fluorescent protein-light chain 3(GFP-LC3)autophagy detection and Western blot platforms for detecting the autophagic markers,GFP-LC3 puncta formation and LC3Ⅱ expression.The degradation of A53Tα-synuclein and the inhibition of α-synuclein oligo merization related to the Parkinson disease were assayed using Western blot and flow cytometer analysis,respectively.While the cytotoxicity and the degradation of the mutant Huntingtin associated with the Huntingtin disease were investigated using MTT method and flow cytometer analysis.RESULTS Radix polygalae ethanol extract and onjisaponin B improved the GFP-LC3 puncta formation and expression of LC3Ⅱ with time and dose manner,and this induction was activated via AMPK-m TOR and Atg 7 gene pathway.Furthermore,the clearance ofα-synuclein and mutant Huntingtin was enhanced via autophagy induction with the treatment of Radix polygalae ethanol extract and onjisaponin B.CONCLUSION Findings in the current study provide detailed insights into the protective mechanism of a novel autophagy inducer,onjisaponin B,which is valuable for further investigation as a new candidate agent for modulating neurodegenerative disorders through the reduction of toxicity and clearance of mutant proteins in the cellular level.

Targeting autophagy as a therapeutic strategy for identification of liganans from Peristrophe japonica in Parkinson’s disease

Dear Editor,PD is characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons in substantia nigra,and the loss of dopamine resulting in motor deficit.1 Its main pathological hallmarks include the genetic mutations of gene such as a-synudein.2 Increasing study showed that the dopaminergic neurons in midbrain are sensitive and damaged by the PD toxins.