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Neurotherapeutic Effects of Pueraria mirifica Extract in Early‐ and Late‐Stage Cognitive Impaired Rats
Author(s) -
Anukulthanakorn Kanya,
Parhar Ishwar S.,
Jaroenporn Sukanya,
Kitahashi Takashi,
Watanbe Gen,
Malaivijitd Suchinda
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
phytotherapy research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.019
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1099-1573
pISSN - 0951-418X
DOI - 10.1002/ptr.5595
Subject(s) - puerarin , pueraria , endocrinology , medicine , ovariectomized rat , downregulation and upregulation , estrogen , chemistry , biochemistry , alternative medicine , pathology , gene
We determined the neurotherapeutic effects of Pueraria mirific a extract (PME) and pure puerarin (PU) in comparison with 17β‐estradiol (E 2 ) in early‐ and late‐stage cognitive impaired rats. Rats were ovariectomized (OVX), kept for 2 and 4 months to induce early‐ and late‐stage cognitive impairment, respectively, and divided into four groups that were treated daily with (i) distilled water, (ii) 100 mg/kg of PME, (iii) 7 mg/kg of PU, and (iv) 80 µg/kg of E 2 for 4 months. The estrogen deficiency symptoms of OVX rats were abrogated by treatment with E 2 or PME, but not by treatment with PU. The mRNA level of genes associated with amyloid production ( App and Bace1 ) and hyperphosphorylated Tau ( Tau4 ) were upregulated together with the level of impaired cognition in the 2‐ and 4‐month OVX rats. Treatment with E 2 reduced the level of cognitive impairment more than that with PME and PU, and 2‐month OVX rats were more responsive than 4‐month OVX rats. All treatments down‐regulated the Bace1 mRNA level in 2‐month OVX rats, while PU and PME also decreased the App mRNA level in 2‐ and 4‐month OVX rats, respectively. Only PU suppressed Tau4 expression in 2‐month OVX rats. Thus, PME and PU elicit neurotherapeutic effects in different pathways, and earlier treatment is optimal. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.