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Updated: Jan 8, 2026

Preparation of Acute Hippocampal Slices from Rats and Transgenic Mice for the Study of Synaptic Alterations during Aging and Amyloid Pathology

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Published on: March 23, 2011

Extracto de ginseng mejora la resiliencia sináptica: un factor clave para el envejecimiento cognitivo saludable

Michael F Almeida^1,2,3,4, Morgan C Pait¹, Katherine M Rentschler¹

¹Biotechnology Research and Training Center, University of North Carolina-Pembroke, Pembroke, North Carolina, USA.

Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association

|December 19, 2025

Abstracto

Introduction:

Disruption of the autophagy-lysosomal pathway (ALP) compromises proteostasis and contributes to aging-related proteinopathy. Many studies indicate that a healthy diet can improve cognitive health and reduce the risk of Alzheimer-type pathogenesis.

Methods:

Plant-based products were tested in hippocampal explants for amplifying the ALP component cathepsin B (CatB), a protease reported to reduce proteinopathy and synaptopathy. Proof-of-concept experiments also tested Panax quinquefolius extract (PanQ) for improving cognitive function in aging rats.

Results:

Among the natural extracts tested, PanQ emerged as the most effective for increasing the active CatB isoform in correspondence with enhanced levels of synaptic proteins and the autophagy marker LC3-II. PanQ also increased synaptic resilience in a model of lysosomal stress and improved cognitive performance in 20-month-old rats.

Discussion:

PanQ-mediated ALP enhancement implicates the proteostasis network in synaptic and cognitive maintenance mechanisms. This study also points to synaptic resiliency as an important factor underlying the influence of dietary components on cognitive health.

Highlights:

Panax quinquefolius (PanQ) enhanced cathepsin B (CatB) in hippocampal explants. The CatB modulation corresponded with enhanced synaptic and autophagy markers. PanQ improved synaptic resilience in the chloroquine (Cqn) model of lysosomal stress. Age-related cognitive deficit was reduced by PanQ supplementation in Fischer rats.

Palabras clave:

ginseng americano Bacopa Panax quinquefolius neurodegeneración relacionada con la edad vía autophagy-lisosomal catepsina B ginseng envejecimiento cognitivo saludable hipocampo lisosoma proteinopatía protección sináptica sinaptopatía

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