Chrysophanol improves memory ability of d-galactose and Aβ25-35 treated rat correlating with inhibiting tau hyperphosphorylation and the CaM-CaMKIV signal pathway in hippocampus

Ting Ye; Xinquan Li; Peng Zhou; Shu Ye; Huawu Gao; Rupeng Hua; Junlong Ma; Yan Wang; Biao Cai

doi:10.1007/s13205-020-2103-z

Chrysophanol improves memory ability of d-galactose and Aβ_25-35 treated rat correlating with inhibiting tau hyperphosphorylation and the CaM-CaMKIV signal pathway in hippocampus

3 Biotech. 2020 Mar;10(3):111. doi: 10.1007/s13205-020-2103-z. Epub 2020 Feb 13.

Authors

Ting Ye^#¹, Xinquan Li^#¹, Peng Zhou^{1

2

3}, Shu Ye¹, Huawu Gao¹, Rupeng Hua¹, Junlong Ma¹, Yan Wang^{1

2

3}, Biao Cai^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ 1School of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, 230012 China.
² Institute of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui Academy of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, 230012 China.
³ Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicinal Formula, Hefei, 230012 China.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

This study was aimed to investigate the effect of Chrysophanol (CHR) on Alzheimer's disease. We also attempted to understand the potential mechanisms. An Alzheimer's disease rat model was established using an intraperitoneal injection of d-galactose combined with an intracerebral injection of amyloid-β peptide (25-35), and the effect of CHR on the learning and memory ability, the hippocampal neurons change, the ultrastructure of the hippocampal CA1 region, the protein levels of CaM, CaMKK, CaMKIV, p-CaMKIV and p-tau in the hippocampus of rats were studied. The results showed that CHR significantly improved the cognitive deficits, alleviated hippocampal neurons damage, prevented the ultrastructure alteration of neurons in hippocampal CA1 region, and reduced the protein levels of CaM, CaMKK, p-CaMKIV and p-tau in the hippocampus of AD rats. These results suggested that Chrysophanol could improve memory ability of Alzheimer's disease rat by inhibiting tau hyperphosphorylation and the CaM-CaMKIV signal pathway.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; CaM–CaMKIV signaling pathway; Chrysophanol; Neuroprotection; Tau protein.