Daicong solution effects on brain ultrastructure in a rat model of Alzheimer's disease

Qin Yue; Hongyn Wng; Shumei Zho; Shengming Zhng; Hongjun Wu; Yigung Wng; Fengjie Li; Yunyun Yng; Junjun Liu; Yuling Ding

摘要：BACKGROUND: Infusion of kainic acid into the basal nuclei induces neuronal excitotoxicity, degeneration, and necrosis, resulting in disturbed learning and memory functions.OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of different doses of traditional Chinese medicine Daicong solution on brain ultrastructure in a rat model of Alzheimer's disease.DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING: The randomized, controlled, cellular morphology experiment was performed at the Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Immunology of Weifang Medical University, China from October 2006 to March 2007.MATERIALS: Fifty healthy, Sprague Dawley rats, aged 22-months, were used to establish rat models of Alzheimer's disease. The Morris water maze was prepared at the Pharmacometrics Key Laboratory of Weifang Medical University in Shandong Province of China. Traditional Chinese medicine Daicong solution (crude drug 1 g/mL), composed of radix ginseng, rehmannia dried rhizome, anemarrhenae and radix astragali, was produced by the Department of Pharmacy of Hospital Affiliated to Weifang Medical University. Kainic acid was provided by Professor Xiuyan Li from Weifang Medical University.METHODS: A total of 40 model rats were equally and randomly divided into four groups: dementia model, low-dose Daicong solution (5 g/kg/d), moderate-dose Daicong solution (10 g/kg/d), and high-dose Daicong solution (20 g/kg/d). An additional 10 healthy rats served as the normal control group. Rats in the dementia model and normal control groups received saline (10 mL/kg/d).MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Neural cell ultrastructure was observed utilizing electron microscopy after 1 month of respective treatments.RESULTS: Compared with the normal control group, electron density and the number of ribosomes were significantly reduced in neuronal cytoplasm, and many lipofuscin grains and vacuole-like changes were observed in mitochondria in the dementia model group. In addition, nuclear chromatin presented with different sizes of plaque-shaped degenerative pathological changes. In the Alzheimer's disease rat model, neurons and neuroepithelial cells recovered to normal conditions following treatment with moderate- and high-dose Daicong solution. In the low-dose Daicong group, the condition was slightly improved, but the eytopatbic effects were still significant.CONCLUSION: Daicong solution significantly improved neuronal and neuroepithelial pathological ultrastructure in a rat model of Alzheimer's disease.