scholarly journals Centella Asiatica Improves Memory and Promotes Antioxidative Signaling in 5XFAD Mice

Antioxidants ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 630 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald G Matthews ◽  
Maya Caruso ◽  
Charles F Murchison ◽  
Jennifer Y Zhu ◽  
Kirsten M Wright ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Amyloid Β ◽  
Water Extract ◽  
Centella Asiatica ◽  
Antioxidant Response ◽  
Plaque Burden ◽  
Heme Oxygenase 1 ◽  
Synaptic Density ◽  
Cognitive Benefits ◽  
5Xfad Mice

Centella asiatica (CA) herb is a traditional medicine, long reputed to provide cognitive benefits. We have reported that CA water extract (CAW) treatment improves cognitive function of aged Alzheimer’s disease (AD) model Tg2576 and wild-type (WT) mice, and induces an NRF2-regulated antioxidant response in aged WT mice. Here, CAW was administered to AD model 5XFAD female and male mice and WT littermates (age: 7.6 +/ − 0.6 months), and object recall and contextual fear memory were tested after three weeks treatment. CAW’s impact on amyloid-β plaque burden, and markers of neuronal oxidative stress and synaptic density, was assessed after five weeks treatment. CAW antioxidant activity was evaluated via nuclear transcription factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (NRF2) and NRF2-regulated antioxidant response element gene expression. Memory improvement in both genders and genotypes was associated with dose-dependent CAW treatment without affecting plaque burden, and marginally increased synaptic density markers in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. CAW treatment increased Nrf2 in hippocampus and other NRF2 targets (heme oxygenase-1, NAD(P)H quinone dehydrogenase 1, glutamate-cysteine ligase catalytic subunit). Reduced plaque-associated SOD1, an indicator of oxidative stress, was observed in the hippocampi and cortices of CAW-treated 5XFAD mice. We postulate that CAW treatment leads to reduced oxidative stress, contributing to improved neuronal health and cognition.

Prolonged Treatment with Centella asiatica Improves Memory, Reduces Amyloid-β Pathology, and Activates NRF2-Regulated Antioxidant Response Pathway in 5xFAD Mice

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Jonathan A. Zweig ◽  
Mikah S. Brandes ◽  
Barbara H. Brumbach ◽  
Maya Caruso ◽  
Kirsten M. Wright ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Synaptic Plasticity ◽  
Amyloid Β ◽  
Centella Asiatica ◽  
Antioxidant Response ◽  
Prolonged Treatment ◽  
Plaque Burden ◽  
5Xfad Mice

Background: The medicinal herb Centella asiatica has been long been used for its neuroprotective and cognitive enhancing effects. We have previously shown that two weeks of treatment with a water extract of Centella asiatica (CAW) improves cognition and activates the endogenous antioxidant response pathway without altering amyloid-β (Aβ) plaque burden. Objective: Here, we assess the effect of long-term treatment of CAW in the 5xFAD mouse model of Aβ accumulation. Methods: Four-month-old 5xFAD mice were treated with CAW in their drinking water (2 g/L) for three months at which point they underwent cognitive testing as well as analysis of Aβ plaque levels and antioxidant and synaptic gene expression. In order to confirm the involvement of the antioxidant regulatory transcription factor NRF2 on the effects of CAW on synaptic plasticity, neurons isolated from 5xFAD mice were also treated with CAW and the targeted inhibitor ML385. Results: Three months of treatment with CAW improved spatial and contextual memory as well as executive function in 5xFAD mice. This improvement was accompanied by increased antioxidant gene expression and a decrease in Aβ plaque burden relative to untreated 5xFAD animals. In isolated neurons, treatment with ML385 blocked the effects of CAW on dendritic arborization and synaptic gene expression. Conclusion: These results suggest that prolonged CAW exposure could be beneficial in Alzheimer’s disease and that these effects likely involve NRF2 activation. Moreover, these findings suggest that targeting NRF2 itself may be a relevant therapeutic strategy for improving synaptic plasticity and cognitive function in Alzheimer’s disease.

scholarly journals Centella asiatica Attenuates Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Oxidative Stress in Aβ-Exposed Hippocampal Neurons

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nora E. Gray ◽  
Jonathan A. Zweig ◽  
Donald G. Matthews ◽  
Maya Caruso ◽  
Joseph F. Quinn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Mitochondrial Dysfunction ◽  
Mitochondrial Function ◽  
Hippocampal Neurons ◽  
Neuroblastoma Cells ◽  
Water Extract ◽  
Centella Asiatica ◽  
Antioxidant Response ◽  
And Oxidative Stress

Centella asiatica has been used for centuries to enhance memory. We have previously shown that a water extract of Centella asiatica (CAW) protects against the deleterious effects of amyloid-β (Aβ) in neuroblastoma cells and attenuates Aβ-induced cognitive deficits in mice. Yet, the neuroprotective mechanism of CAW has yet to be thoroughly explored in neurons from these animals. This study investigates the effects of CAW on neuronal metabolism and oxidative stress in isolated Aβ-expressing neurons. Hippocampal neurons from amyloid precursor protein overexpressing Tg2576 mice and wild-type (WT) littermates were treated with CAW. In both genotypes, CAW increased the expression of antioxidant response genes which attenuated the Aβ-induced elevations in reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid peroxidation in Tg2576 neurons. CAW also improved mitochondrial function in both genotypes and increased the expression of electron transport chain enzymes and mitochondrial labeling, suggesting an increase in mitochondrial content. These data show that CAW protects against mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress in Aβ-exposed hippocampal neurons which could contribute to the beneficial effects of the extract observed in vivo. Since CAW also improved mitochondrial function in the absence of Aβ, these results suggest a broader utility for other conditions where neuronal mitochondrial dysfunction occurs.

scholarly journals Astragaloside IV Protects Against Oxidative Stress in Calf Small Intestine Epithelial Cells via NFE2L2-Antioxidant Response Element Signaling

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (24) ◽  
pp. 6131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yafang Wang ◽  
Fugui Jiang ◽  
Haijian Cheng ◽  
Xiuwen Tan ◽  
Yifan Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Small Intestine ◽  
Epithelial Cells ◽  
Reactive Oxygen Species Generation ◽  
Antioxidant Response ◽  
Heme Oxygenase 1 ◽  
Related Factor ◽  
Antioxidant Response Element ◽  
Astragaloside Iv ◽  
Response Element

Oxidative stress can damage intestinal epithelial cell integrity and function, causing gastrointestinal disorders. Astragaloside IV (ASIV) exhibits a variety of biological and pharmacological properties, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. The purpose of this research was to investigate the cytoprotective action of ASIV and its mechanisms in calf small intestine epithelial cells with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced oxidative stress. ASIV pretreatment not only increased cell survival, but it also decreased reactive oxygen species generation and apoptosis, enhanced superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase levels, and it reduced malondialdehyde formation. Furthermore, pretreatment with ASIV elevated the mRNA and protein levels of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NFE2L2), heme oxygenase-1 (HMOX1), and NAD(P)H quinone dehydrogenase 1 (NQO1). The NFE2L2 inhibitor ML385 inhibited NFE2L2 expression and then blocked HMOX1 and NQO1 expression. These results demonstrate that ASIV treatment effectively protects against H2O2-induced oxidative damage in calf small intestine epithelial cells through the activation of the NFE2L2-antioxidant response element signaling pathway.

scholarly journals Suppression of 6-Hydroxydopamine-Induced Oxidative Stress by Hyperoside Via Activation of Nrf2/HO-1 Signaling in Dopaminergic Neurons

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (23) ◽  
pp. 5832 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kwon ◽  
Lee ◽  
Park ◽  
Ra ◽  
Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Neuronal Death ◽  
Dopaminergic Neurons ◽  
Neuronal Cell ◽  
Antioxidant Response ◽  
Heme Oxygenase 1 ◽  
Related Factor ◽  
Neuroprotective Effects ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
6 Hydroxydopamine

In our ongoing research to discover natural products with neuroprotective effects, hyperoside (quercetin 3-O-galactoside) was isolated from Acer tegmentosum, which has been used in Korean traditional medicine to treat liver-related disorders. Here, we demonstrated that hyperoside protects cultured dopaminergic neurons from death via reactive oxygen species (ROS)-dependent mechanisms, although other relevant mechanisms of hyperoside activity remain largely uncharacterized. For the first time, we investigated the neuroprotective effects of hyperoside on 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced neurotoxicity in neurons, and the possible underlying mechanisms. Hyperoside significantly ameliorated the loss of neuronal cell viability, lactate dehydrogenase release, excessive ROS accumulation and mitochondrial membrane potential dysfunction associated with 6-OHDA-induced neurotoxicity. Furthermore, hyperoside treatment activated the nuclear erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), an upstream molecule of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). Hyperoside also induced the expression of HO-1, an antioxidant response gene. Remarkably, we found that the neuroprotective effects of hyperoside were weakened by an Nrf2 small interfering RNA, which blocked the ability of hyperoside to inhibit neuronal death, indicating the vital role of HO-1. Overall, we show that hyperoside, via the induction of Nrf2-dependent HO-1 activation, suppresses neuronal death caused by 6-OHDA-induced oxidative stress. Moreover, Nrf2-dependent HO-1 signaling activation represents a potential preventive and therapeutic target in Parkinson′s disease management.

scholarly journals Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Profiles of Spent Coffee Ground Extracts for the Treatment of Neurodegeneration

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Simone Angeloni ◽  
Michela Freschi ◽  
Pasquale Marrazzo ◽  
Silvana Hrelia ◽  
Daniela Beghelli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Water Extract ◽  
Thioredoxin Reductase ◽  
Heme Oxygenase 1 ◽  
Quinone Oxidoreductase ◽  
Waste Products ◽  
Caffeoylquinic Acid ◽  
Proinflammatory Mediators ◽  
Spent Coffee Ground

Spent coffee grounds (SCGs), waste products of coffee beverage production, are rich in organic compounds such as phenols. Different studies have demonstrated phenol beneficial effects in counteracting neurodegenerative diseases. These diseases are associated with oxidative stress and neuroinflammation, which initiates the degeneration of neurons by overactivating microglia. Unfortunately, to date, there are no pharmacological therapies to treat these pathologies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the phenolic content of 4 different SCG extracts and their ability to counteract oxidative stress and neuroinflammation. Caffeine and 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid were the most abundant compounds in all extracts, followed by 3-O-caffeoylquinic acid and 3,5-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid. The four extracts demonstrated a different ability to counteract oxidative stress and neuroinflammation in vitro. In particular, the methanol extract was the most effective in protecting neuron-like SH-SY5Y cells against H2O2-induced oxidative stress by upregulating endogenous antioxidant enzymes such as thioredoxin reductase, heme oxygenase 1, NADPH quinone oxidoreductase, and glutathione reductase. The water extract was the most effective in counteracting lipopolysaccharide-induced neuroinflammation in microglial BV-2 cells by strongly reducing the expression of proinflammatory mediators through the modulation of the TLR4/NF-κB pathway. On these bases, SCG extracts could represent valuable nutraceutical sources for the treatment of neurodegeneration.

Traumatic Injury Reduces Amyloid Plaque Burden in the Transgenic 5xFAD Alzheimer’s Mouse Spinal Cord

2020 ◽  
Vol 77 (3) ◽  
pp. 1315-1330
Author(s):  
Tak-Ho Chu ◽  
Karen Cummins ◽  
Peter K. Stys
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Axonal Injury ◽  
Amyloid Β ◽  
Amyloid Plaque ◽  
Amyloid Deposition ◽  
Plaque Burden ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Plaque Deposition ◽  
5Xfad Mice ◽  
The Impact

Background: Axonal injury has been implicated in the development of amyloid-β in experimental brain injuries and clinical cases. The anatomy of the spinal cord provides a tractable model for examining the effects of trauma on amyloid deposition. Objective: Our goal was to examine the effects of axonal injury on plaque formation and clearance using wild type and 5xFAD transgenic Alzheimer’s disease mice. Methods: We contused the spinal cord at the T12 spinal level at 10 weeks, an age at which no amyloid plaques spontaneously accumulate in 5xFAD mice. We then explored plaque clearance by impacting spinal cords in 27-week-old 5xFAD mice where amyloid deposition is already well established. We also examined the cellular expression of one of the most prominent amyloid-β degradation enzymes, neprilysin, at the lesion site. Results: No plaques were found in wild type animals at any time points examined. Injury in 5xFAD prevented plaque deposition rostral and caudal to the lesion when the cords were examined at 2 and 4 months after the impact, whereas age-matched naïve 5xFAD mice showed extensive amyloid plaque deposition. A massive reduction in the number of plaques around the lesion was found as early as 7 days after the impact, preceded by neprilysin upregulation in astrocytes at 3 days after injury. At 7 days after injury, the majority of amyloid was found inside microglia/macrophages. Conclusion: These observations suggest that the efficient amyloid clearance after injury in the cord may be driven by the orchestrated efforts of astroglial and immune cells.

Shenduning Granule Attenuates Renal Injury from Oxidative Stress through the Nuclear Factor Erythroid 2-Related Factor 2/Antioxidant Response Element Pathway

Pharmacology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 103 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 236-245
Author(s):  
Xiao-Jun Fu ◽  
Shuang-Yan Hu
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Antioxidant Response ◽  
Urinary Protein ◽  
Heme Oxygenase 1 ◽  
High Dose ◽  
Related Factor ◽  
Nuclear Factor ◽  
Antioxidant Response Element ◽  
Response Element ◽  
Operation Group

Background: Systemic oxidative stress has been reported to play a central role in the pathogenesis of kidney function decline. The nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/antioxidant response element (ARE) pathway is one of the important endogenous antioxidant stress pathways in cells. This study aims to investigate whether shenduning granule can ameliorate oxidative stress in kidney tissues by activating the Nrf2/ARE pathway, and explores the detailed underlying mechanism. Methods: A total of 120 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to the sham-operated and operation groups. Rats in the operation group underwent 5/6 nephrectomy. Two weeks later, rats in the operation group were further randomly divided into 5 groups: model group, low-dose, medium-dose and high-dose shenduning granule groups, and losartan group. Rats in each group were given the same volume of corresponding liquid orally. Serum creatinine (SCr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), 24-h urinary protein, malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), Nrf2, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), and γ-glutamyl-cysteine synthetase (γ-GCS) were determined. Results: Shenduning granule could markedly elevate HO-1, NRF2, γ-GCS and SOD (p < 0.05), and significantly decreased MDA, 24-h urinary protein, SCr and BUN in rats (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Shenduning granule can improve renal antioxidative stress activity in rats, exhibiting a renoprotective effect. The potential mechanism is likely exerted by the activation of the Nrf2/ARE pathway.

scholarly journals CYP46A1-dependent and independent effects of efavirenz treatment

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalia Mast ◽  
Nicole El-Darzi ◽  
Alexey M Petrov ◽  
Young Li ◽  
Irina A Pikuleva
Keyword(s):  
Cytochrome P450 ◽  
Steroid Hormones ◽  
Small Dose ◽  
Amyloid Β ◽  
Enzyme Activation ◽  
Synaptic Function ◽  
Synaptic Density ◽  
5Xfad Mice ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Post Synaptic Density

Abstract Cholesterol excess in the brain is mainly disposed via cholesterol 24-hydroxylation catalysed by cytochrome P450 46A1, a CNS-specific enzyme. Cytochrome P450 46A1 is emerging as a promising therapeutic target for various brain diseases with both enzyme activation and inhibition having therapeutic potential. The rate of cholesterol 24-hydroxylation determines the rate of brain cholesterol turnover and the rate of sterol flux through the plasma membranes. The latter was shown to affect membrane properties and thereby membrane proteins and membrane-dependent processes. Previously we found that treatment of 5XFAD mice, an Alzheimer’s disease model, with a small dose of anti-HIV drug efavirenz allosterically activated cytochrome P450 46A1 in the brain and mitigated several disease manifestations. Herein, we generated Cyp46a1−/−5XFAD mice and treated them, along with 5XFAD animals, with efavirenz to ascertain cytochrome P450 46A1-dependent and independent drug effects. Efavirenz-treated versus control Cyp46a1−/−5XFAD and 5XFAD mice were compared for the brain sterol and steroid hormone content, amyloid β burden, protein and mRNA expression as well as synaptic ultrastructure. We found that the cytochrome P450 46A1-dependent efavirenz effects included changes in the levels of brain sterols, steroid hormones, and such proteins as glial fibrillary acidic protein, Iba1, Munc13-1, post-synaptic density-95, gephyrin, synaptophysin and synapsin-1. Changes in the expression of genes involved in neuroprotection, neurogenesis, synaptic function, inflammation, oxidative stress and apoptosis were also cytochrome P450 46A1-dependent. The total amyloid β load was the same in all groups of animals, except lack of cytochrome P450 46A1 decreased the production of the amyloid β40 species independent of treatment. In contrast, altered transcription of genes from cholinergic, monoaminergic, and peptidergic neurotransmission, steroid sulfation and production as well as vitamin D3 activation was the main CYP46A1-independent efavirenz effect. Collectively, the data obtained reveal that CYP46A1 controls cholesterol availability for the production of steroid hormones in the brain and the levels of biologically active neurosteroids. In addition, cytochrome P450 46A1 activity also seems to affect the levels of post-synaptic density-95, the main postsynaptic density protein, possibly by altering the calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II inhibitor 1 expression and activity of glycogen synthase kinase 3β. Even at a small dose, efavirenz likely acts as a transcriptional regulator, yet this regulation may not necessarily lead to functional effects. This study further confirmed that cytochrome P450 46A1 is a key enzyme for cholesterol homeostasis in the brain and that the therapeutic efavirenz effects on 5XFAD mice are likely realized via cytochrome P450 46A1 activation.

scholarly journals Caffeoylquinic Acids in Centella asiatica Reverse Cognitive Deficits in Male 5XFAD Alzheimer’s Disease Model Mice

Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 3488
Author(s):  
Donald G. Matthews ◽  
Maya Caruso ◽  
Armando Alcazar Magana ◽  
Kirsten M. Wright ◽  
Claudia S. Maier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Conditioned Fear ◽  
Control Diet ◽  
Water Extract ◽  
Centella Asiatica ◽  
Cognitive Effects ◽  
Edible Plant ◽  
Caffeoylquinic Acids ◽  
5Xfad Mice

Centella asiatica (CA) is an edible plant and a popular botanical dietary supplement. It is reputed, in Ayurveda, to mitigate age-related cognitive decline. There is a considerable body of preclinical literature supporting CA’s ability to improve learning and memory. This study evaluated the contribution of CA’s triterpenes (TT), widely considered its active compounds, and caffeoylquinic acids (CQA) to the cognitive effects of CA water extract (CAW) in 5XFAD mice, a model of Alzheimer’s disease. 5XFAD mice were fed a control diet alone, or one containing 1% CAW or compound groups (TT, CQA, or TT + CQA) equivalent to their content in 1% CAW. Wild-type (WT) littermates received the control diet. Conditioned fear response (CFR) was evaluated after 4.5 weeks. Female 5XFAD controls showed no deficit in CFR compared to WT females, nor any effects from treatment. In males, CFR of 5XFAD controls was attenuated compared to WT littermates (p = 0.005). 5XFAD males receiving CQA or TT + CQA had significantly improved CFR (p < 0.05) compared to 5XFAD male controls. CFR did not differ between 5XFAD males receiving treatment diets and WT males. These data confirm a role for CQA in CAW’s cognitive effects.

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