Neural Regeneration Research ›› 2018, Vol. 13 ›› Issue (5): 915-922.doi: 10.4103/1673-5374.232487

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Trillium tschonoskii maxim extract attenuates abnormal Tau phosphorylation

Hong-Bin Luo1, 2, 3, Nan Shang2, 3, Wen-Zhi Xie2, 3, De-Jian Wen2, 3, Min Qu4, Sheng Huang2, 3, Sha-Sha Fan2, 3, Wei Chen2, 3, Nan-Qiao Mou2, 3, Xiang-Yu Liu2, 3, Qin Chen2, 3, Feng-Feng Xie2, 3, Jun-Xu Li5   

  1. 1 Hubei Key Laboratory of Biological Resource Protection and Utilization, Hubei University for Nationalities, Enshi, Hubei Province, China;
    2 Medical College, Hubei University for Nationalities, Enshi, Hubei Province, China;
    3 Institute of Neurological and Psychiatric Comorbidity, Hubei University for Nationalities, Enshi, Hubei Province, China;
    4 Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory for Applied Toxicology, Hubei Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China;
    5 Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA
  • Received:2018-03-22 Online:2018-05-15 Published:2018-05-15
  • Contact: Jun-Xu Li, Ph.D. or Hong-Bin Luo, Ph.D., junxuli@buffalo.edu or luohongbin6809@126.com.
  • Supported by:

    This work was supported in part by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 81260172, 81660223; the Opening Foundation of Hubei Key Laboratory of Biological Resource Protection and Utilization of China, No. PKLHB1318; the Science and Technology Innovation Team Project of Hubei University for Nationalities of China, No. MY2011T005; the Doctoral Fund of Hubei University for Nationalities of China, No. MY2012B015; the Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Province of China, No. 2017CFB451.

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Abstract:

Large-scale epidemiological studies have found that hyperhomocysteinemia is a powerful, independent risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease.Trillium tschonoskii maxim is a traditional Chinese medicine that is used to promote memory. However, scientific understanding of its mechanism of action is limited. This report studied the potential neuroprotective effects of Trillium tschonoskii maxim extract against homocysteine-induced cognitive deficits. Rats were intravenously injected with homocysteine (400 μg/kg) for 14 days to induce a model of Alzheimer’s disease. These rats were then intragastrically treated with Trillium tschonoskii maxim extract (0.125 or 0.25 g/kg) for 7 consecutive days. Open field test and Morris water maze test were conducted to measure spontaneous activity and learning and memory abilities.Western blot assay was used to detect the levels of Tau protein and other factors involved in Tau phosphorylation in the hippocampus.Immunohistochemical staining was used to examine Tau protein in the hippocampus. Golgi staining was applied to measure hippocampal dendritic spines. Our results demonstrated that homocysteine produced learning and memory deficits and increased levels of Tau phosphorylation,and diminished the activity of catalytic protein phosphatase 2A. The total number of hippocampal dendritic spines was also decreased. Trillium tschonoskii maxim extract treatment reversed the homocysteine-induced changes. The above results suggest that Trillium tschonoskii maxim extract can lessen homocysteine-induced abnormal Tau phosphorylation and improve cognitive deterioration such as that present in Alzheimer’s disease.

Key words: nerve regeneration, Trillium tschonoskii maxim, homocysteine, Alzheimer’s disease, cognitive disorders, Tau, synaptic development, neural regeneration