Effects of triptolide on the synaptophysin expression of hippocampal neurons in the AD cellular model

Due to the immunoinflammatory pathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain, recent studies have begun to focus attention on the role of anti-inflammatory drugs or immunomodulators in AD. Triptolide isolated from the herb Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F has anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive activities. In this study, we observed the effects of triptolide on synaptophysin expression in AD cellular model. AD cellular model was established by action of Aβ-stimulated microglial conditioned medium (MCM) on cultured rat hippocampal neurons (HN). Immunocytochemical staining, western blot and RT-PCR were used to observe the effects of triptolide at different dosages on the synaptophysin expression of hippocampal neurons in AD cellular model at different time points during incubation of cultures. After 24 h of cultivation, the expression level of synaptophysin in MCM/HN model group was decreased as compared with normal HN group and MCM/HN control group, and the expression level of synaptophysin in MCM/HN low-dose triptolide group and MCM/HN high-dose triptolide group was increased as compared with MCM/HN model group. It is concluded that triptolide can promote the synaptophysin expression of hippocampal neurons in the AD cellular model.