TY - JOUR
T1 - Uncaria rhynchophylla, a Chinese medicinal herb, has potent antiaggregation effects on Alzheimer's β-amyloid proteins
AU - Fujiwara, Hironori
AU - Iwasaki, Koh
AU - Furukawa, Katsutoshi
AU - Seki, Takashi
AU - He, Mei
AU - Maruyama, Masahiro
AU - Tomita, Naoki
AU - Kudo, Yukitsuka
AU - Higuchi, Makoto
AU - Saido, Takaomi C.
AU - Maeda, Sumihiro
AU - Takashima, Akihiko
AU - Hara, Masahiko
AU - Ohizumi, Yasushi
AU - Arai, Hiroyuki
PY - 2006/8/1
Y1 - 2006/8/1
N2 - Because the deposition of β-amyloid protein (Aβ) is a consistent pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains, inhibition of Aβ generation, prevention of Aβ fibril formation, or destabilization of preformed Aβ fibrils would be attractive therapeutic strategies for the treatment of AD. We examined the effects of several medicinal herbs used in traditional Chinese medical formulae on the formation and destabilization of Aβ fibrils by using the thioflavin T binding assay, atomic force microscopic imaging, and electrophoresis. Our study demonstrates that several of these herbs have potent inhibitory effects on fibril formation of both Aβ1-40 and Aβ1-42 in concentration-dependent manners; in particular, Uncaria rhynchophylla inhibited Aβ aggregation most intensively. Significant destabilization of preformed Aβ1-40 and Aβ1-42 fibrils was also induced by Uncaria rhynchophylla as well as some other herb extracts. Three-dimensional HPLC analysis indicated that the water extract of this herb contains several different chemical compounds, including oxindole and indol alkaloids, which have been regarded as neuroprotective. Our results suggest that Uncaria rhynchophylla has remarkably inhibitory effects on the regulation of Aβ fibrils, and we conclude that this medicinal herb could have the potency to be a novel therapeutic agent to prevent and/or cure AD.
AB - Because the deposition of β-amyloid protein (Aβ) is a consistent pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains, inhibition of Aβ generation, prevention of Aβ fibril formation, or destabilization of preformed Aβ fibrils would be attractive therapeutic strategies for the treatment of AD. We examined the effects of several medicinal herbs used in traditional Chinese medical formulae on the formation and destabilization of Aβ fibrils by using the thioflavin T binding assay, atomic force microscopic imaging, and electrophoresis. Our study demonstrates that several of these herbs have potent inhibitory effects on fibril formation of both Aβ1-40 and Aβ1-42 in concentration-dependent manners; in particular, Uncaria rhynchophylla inhibited Aβ aggregation most intensively. Significant destabilization of preformed Aβ1-40 and Aβ1-42 fibrils was also induced by Uncaria rhynchophylla as well as some other herb extracts. Three-dimensional HPLC analysis indicated that the water extract of this herb contains several different chemical compounds, including oxindole and indol alkaloids, which have been regarded as neuroprotective. Our results suggest that Uncaria rhynchophylla has remarkably inhibitory effects on the regulation of Aβ fibrils, and we conclude that this medicinal herb could have the potency to be a novel therapeutic agent to prevent and/or cure AD.
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U2 - 10.1002/jnr.20891
DO - 10.1002/jnr.20891
M3 - Article
C2 - 16676329
AN - SCOPUS:33746435758
SN - 0360-4012
VL - 84
SP - 427
EP - 433
JO - Journal of Neuroscience Research
JF - Journal of Neuroscience Research
IS - 2
ER -