Cognitive impairment is the main clinical manifestation of Alzheimer's disease (AD), and amyloid-β (Aβ) deposition and senile plaques are the characteristic neuropathological hallmarks in AD brains. This study aimed to explore the effect and mechanism of tetrahydroxy stilbene glucoside (TSG) on cognitive function in APP/PS1 mice during long-term administration. Here, we treated APP/PS1 model mice of AD with different doses of TSG (50 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg) for 5 to 17 months by gavage, and we further observed whether TSG could ameliorate the cognitive decline in APP/PS1 mice using behavioral tests, and investigated the possible mechanisms by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. Our results showed that TSG treatment rescued the spatial and non-spatial learning and memory impairments of APP/PS1 mice at Morris water maze test and novel object recognition test. Furthermore, Aβ40/42 deposition in the cortex and hippocampus of APP/PS1 mice treated with TSG was significantly reduced compared to the wild type mice using the immunohistochemical technique. Finally, Western blotting showed that TSG primarily decreased the APP expression to avoid the Aβ plaque deposition in the cortex and hippocampus of mice. These results reveal the beneficial effects of TSG in APP/PS1-AD mice, which may be associated with the reduction of Aβ deposits in the brain.
Keywords: APP/PS1 transgenic mice; amyloid-β protein; cognitive impairments; tetrahydroxy stilbene glucoside.