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BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies
Published in: BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies 1/2021

01-12-2021 | Alzheimer's Disease | Research

Active constituent of Polygala tenuifolia attenuates cognitive deficits by rescuing hippocampal neurogenesis in APP/PS1 transgenic mice

Authors: Xiao-feng Wang, Hong-he Xiao, Yu-tong Wu, Liang Kong, Ji-cong Chen, Jing-xian Yang, Xiao-le Hu

Published in: BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies | Issue 1/2021

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Abstract

Background

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common dementia worldwide, and there is still no satisfactory drug or therapeutic strategy. Polygala tenuifolia is a traditional Chinese medicine with multiple neuroprotective effects. In present study, we investigated the effects of three active constituents [3,6′-disinapoyl sucrose (DISS), onjisaponin B (OB) and tenuifolin (TEN)] of Polygala tenuifolia (PT) on the proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells (NSCs) to identify the potential active constituent of PT promoting hippocampal neurogenesis.

Methods

NSCs were isolated from hippocampi of newborn C57BL/6 mice, and transfected with mutant amyloid precursor protein (APP) gene to establish an AD cell model (APP-NSCs). 3-(4,5- Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assays were performed, and the proliferation and differentiation of NSCs were assessed by neurosphere formation assay, 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation assay and immunofluorescence (IF) staining analysis. APP/PS1 transgenic mice were administrated with the potential active constituent DISS for 4 weeks. Morris water maze (MWM), Nissl staining assay and IF staining assays were carried out to evaluate the cognitive function, neural damages and hippocampal neurogenesis, respectively.

Results

DISS exerted the optimal ability to strengthen APP-NSCs proliferation and neuronal differentiation, followed by OB and TEN. Furthermore, DISS treatment for 4 weeks strikingly rescued the cognitive deficits, neuronal injures, and neurogenesis disorder in adult APP/PS1 transgenic mice.

Conclusions

Our findings demonstrated that DISS is the constituent of PT that triggers the most potent increase of hippocampal neurogenesis in our mouse model of AD.
Appendix
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Metadata
Title
Active constituent of Polygala tenuifolia attenuates cognitive deficits by rescuing hippocampal neurogenesis in APP/PS1 transgenic mice
Authors
Xiao-feng Wang
Hong-he Xiao
Yu-tong Wu
Liang Kong
Ji-cong Chen
Jing-xian Yang
Xiao-le Hu
Publication date
01-12-2021
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies / Issue 1/2021
Electronic ISSN: 2662-7671
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-021-03437-5

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