Protective effect of Allium jesdianum in an Alzheimer's disease induced rat model

Abstract

Aims: Alzheimer is a multifactorial disease that is caused by several different etiopathogenic mechanisms. The aim of this study is to evaluate the protective effects of Allium jesdianum extract on cognitive dysfunction, mitochondrial/cellular, and genetic parameters in Streptozotocin-induced Alzheimer's disease (AD) Rat Model. Main methods: A single dose of STZ (3 mg/kg, i.c.v.) was injected to male Wistar rats in order to establish a model of sporadic AD. A. jesdianum extract (100,200, 400 mg/kg/day) and donepezil (5 mg/kg/day) were administered through oral gavage as treatment for 14 days after model induction. Cognitive function (radial arm water maze test), mitochondrial toxicity parameters consisting succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) activity, mitochondrial ROS formation, MMP decline, mitochondrial swelling and efflux of cytochrome c in various parts of the rat brain (whole brain, frontal cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum), and miR-330, miR-132, Bax and Bcl-2 genes expression in isolated rat brain neurons through RT-qPCR analysis were evaluated. Key findings: A.jesdianum extract significantly attenuated i.c.v-STZ-induced cognitive dysfunction and mitochondrial upstream toxic events. As a result of STZ injection, Bax gene was highly expressed, whereas miR-330, miR-132 and Bcl-2 gene were poorly expressed and A. jesdianumreverses the expression of the above miRNAs and genes in favor of improving AD and reducing neuronal apoptosis. Significance: A. jesdianum showed the neuroprotective capability against oxidative stress and cognitive impairment induced by STZ in rats shows its helpful therapeutic worth in AD.