NaoXinTong Capsule ameliorates memory deficit in APP/PS1 mice by regulating inflammatory cytokines

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease in aging population. Neuroinflammation, hyperphosphorylated Tau (p-Tau) and the imbalance between production and clearance of β-amyloid peptide (Aβ) are the major causes for AD development. NaoXinTong Capsule (NXT), a traditional Chinese medicine, is wildly used for treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Hence, we used the double transgenic mice expressing chimeric human amyloid precursor protein and mutant human presenilin 1 (APP/PS1) and HT-22 cells to determine the neuroprotective effects of NXT in AD development and the involved mechanisms. The 3-month-old APP/PS1 mice were randomly divided into 3 groups and received following treatment: Control group, mice were fed normal chow; NXT groups, mice were fed normal chow containing NXT at a normal and a high dose, respectively. While the age-matched C57BL/6J mice fed normal chow were used as the normal control. The NXT treatment was lasted for 5 months. We found that NXT treatment improved spatial memory impairment and cognitive decline in APP/PS1 mice by decreasing p-Tau levels and Aβ accumulation in the brain. Mechanistically, we observed that NXT inhibited neuron atrophy and apoptosis by downregulating inflammatory cytokines, interleukin 1β (IL-1β), IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), and inflammation mediators, nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) and toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in the brain. Consistently, NXT blocked l-glutamic acid-induced reactive oxygen species production, inflammation and apoptosis in HT-22 cells partially by inhibiting TLR4/NF-κB/IL-1β signaling pathway. Our study demonstrates that NXT ameliorates AD by reducing p-Tau, Aβ accumulation, inflammation and neuron apoptosis via regulation of TLR4-mediated inflammatory system. It also suggests the potential application of NXT for AD treatment.