A modified formulation of Huanglian-Jie-Du-Tang reduces memory impairments and β-amyloid plaques in a triple transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 7; no. 1; pp. 6238 - 13
• Main Authors: Durairajan, Siva Sundara Kumar, Iyaswamy, Ashok, Shetty, Sravan Gopalakrishna, Kammella, Ananth Kumar, Malampati, Sandeep, Shang, Wenbin, Yang, Chuanbin, Song, Juxian, Chung, Sookja, Huang, Jiandong, Ilango, Kaliappan, Han, Quan-Bin, Li, Min
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 24.07.2017; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 13/51; 631/378/2649; 692/308/575; Alzheimer Disease - complications; Alzheimer's disease; Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor - physiology; Amyloid precursor protein; Animals; Brain - drug effects; Brain - pathology; Cell culture; Cognitive ability; Disease Models, Animal; Drugs, Chinese Herbal - chemistry; Female; Herbal medicine; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Lysates; Male; Memory; Memory Disorders - drug therapy; Memory Disorders - etiology; Memory Disorders - pathology; Mice; Mice, Transgenic; multidisciplinary; Neurodegenerative diseases; Oral administration; Plant Extracts - pharmacokinetics; Plaque, Amyloid - etiology; Plaque, Amyloid - pathology; Plaque, Amyloid - prevention & control; Presenilin-1 - physiology; Rodents; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Senile plaques; tau Proteins - physiology; Transgenic mice; β-Amyloid
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-06217-9

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a degenerative disorder typified by progressive deterioration of memory and the appearance of β-amyloid peptide (Aβ)-rich senile plaques. Recently we have identified a novel function of a patented formulation of modified Huanglian-Jie-Tu-Tang (HLJDT-M), a Chinese herbal medicine, in treating AD in in vitro studies (US patent No. 9,375,457). HLJDT-M is a formulation composed of Rhizoma Coptitis, Cortex Phellodendri and Fructus Gardeniae without Radix Scutellariae. Here, we assessed the efficacy of HLJDT-M on a triple transgenic mouse model of AD (3XTg-AD). Oral administration of HLJDT-M ameliorated the cognitive dysfunction of 3XTg-AD mice and lessened the plaque burden. In addition, biochemical assays revealed a significant decrease in levels of detergent-soluble and acid-soluble Aβ via decreasing the levels of full length amyloid-β precursor protein (FL-APP) and C-terminal fragments of APP (CTFs) in brain lysates of HLJDT-M-treated mice. HLJDT-M treatment also significantly reduced the levels of FL-APP and CTFs in N2a/SweAPP cells. In contrast, treatment using the classical formula HLJDT did not reduce the memory impairment of 3XTg-AD mice and, rather, increased the Aβ/Fl-APP/CTFs in both animal and cell culture studies. Altogether, our study indicates that HLJDT-M is a promising herbal formulation to prevent and/or cure AD.