Estrogen receptor beta treats Alzheimer’s disease

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1673-5374.2013.05.005

Abstract

Abstract:

In vitro studies have shown that estrogen receptor β can attenuate the cytotoxic effect of amyloid β protein on PC12 cells through the Akt pathway without estrogen stimulation. In this study, we aimed to observe the effect of estrogen receptor β in Alzheimer’s disease rat models established by intraventricular injection of amyloid β protein. Estrogen receptor β lentiviral particles delivered via intraventricular injection increased Akt content in the hippocampus, decreased interleukin-1β mRNA, tumor necrosis factor α mRNA and amyloid β protein levels in the hippocampus, and improved the learning and memory capacities in Alzheimer’s disease rats. Estrogen receptor β short hairpin RNA lentiviral particles delivered via intraventricular injection had none of the above impacts on Alzheimer’s disease rats. These experimental findings indicate that estrogen receptor β, independent from estrogen, can reduce inflammatory reactions and amyloid β deposition in the hippocampus of Alzheimer’s disease rats, and improve learning and memory capacities. This effect may be mediated through activation of the Akt pathway.

Key words: neural regeneration, neurodegenerative diseases, estrogen, estrogen receptor β, Alzheimer’s disease, amyloid &beta, protein, inflammatory cytokines, Akt signaling pathway, cognition, neural protection, photographs-containing paper, neuroregeneration

Zhu Tian, Jia Fan, Yang Zhao, Sheng Bi, Lihui Si, Qun Liu. Estrogen receptor beta treats Alzheimer’s disease[J]. Neural Regeneration Research, 2013, 8(5): 420-426.

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