Open AccessEffective components of Chinese herbs reduce central nervous system function decline induced by iron overload
Author(s) -
XianHui Dong,
Bai Jiang-tao,
Weina Kong,
Xiaolong He,
Peng Yan,
TieMei Shao,
Weixian Yu,
XinSheng Chai,
Yanhua Wu,
Cong Liu
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
neural regeneration research/neural regeneration research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.93
H-Index - 38
eISSN - 1876-7958
pISSN - 1673-5374
DOI - 10.4103/1673-5374.156981
Subject(s) - epimedium , ferroportin , central nervous system , medicine , alzheimer's disease , disease , herb , pharmacology , neuroscience , genetically modified mouse , downregulation and upregulation , iron homeostasis , transgene , endocrinology , biology , traditional medicine , medicinal herbs , metabolism , biochemistry , gene
Abnormally increased levels of iron in the brain trigger cascade amplification in Alzheimer's disease patients, resulting in neuronal death. This study investigated whether components extracted from the Chinese herbs epimedium herb, milkvetch root and kudzuvine root could relieve the abnormal expression of iron metabolism-related protein in Alzheimer's disease patients. An APPswe /PS1ΔE9 double transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease was used. The intragastric administration of compounds from epimedium herb, milkvetch root and kudzuvine root improved pathological alterations such as neuronal edema, increased the number of neurons, downregulated divalent metal transporter 1 expression, upregulated ferroportin 1 expression, and inhibited iron overload in the cerebral cortex of mice with Alzheimer's disease. These compounds reduced iron overload-induced impairment of the central nervous system, indicating a new strategy for developing novel drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.