Department of Biology, Faculty of Biology, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi,Romania.
Center for Fundamental Research and Experimental Development in Translation Medicine-TRANSCEND, Regional Institute of Oncology, Iasi,Romania.
CNS Neurol Disord Drug Targets. 2022;21(1):85-94. doi: 10.2174/1871527320666210303111537.
The conifer species Pinus halepensis (Pinaceae) and Tetraclinis articulata (Cupressaceae) are widely used in traditional medicine due to their beneficial health properties.
This study aimed to investigate the mechanisms by which P. halepensis and T. articulata essential oils (1% and 3%) could exhibit neuroprotective effects in an Alzheimer's disease (AD) rat model, induced by intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of amyloid beta1-42 (Aβ1-42).
The essential oils were administered by inhalation to the AD rat model, once daily, for 21 days. DNA fragmentation was assessed through a Cell Death Detection ELISA kit. Brainderived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (ARC), and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) gene expressions were determined by RT-qPCR analysis, while BDNF and ARC protein expressions were assessed using immunohistochemistry technique.
Our data showed that both essential oils substantially attenuated memory impairments, with P. halepensis mainly stimulating ARC expression and T. articulata mostly enhancing BDNF expression. Also, the inhalation of essential oils reduced IL-1β expression and induced positive effects against DNA fragmentation associated with Aβ1-42-induced toxicity, further contributing to the cognitive improvement in the rats with the AD-like model Conclusion: Our findings provide further evidence that these essential oils and their chemical constituents could be natural agents of therapeutic interest against Aβ1-42-induced neurotoxicity.
松属植物地中海柏（柏科）和柏木（柏科）因其有益的健康特性而被广泛用于传统医学。
本研究旨在探讨地中海柏和柏木精油（1%和 3%）通过何种机制对通过脑室内（i.c.v.）给予淀粉样蛋白β1-42（Aβ1-42）诱导的阿尔茨海默病（AD）大鼠模型发挥神经保护作用。
通过吸入方式将精油给予 AD 大鼠模型，每天一次，共 21 天。通过细胞死亡检测 ELISA 试剂盒评估 DNA 片段化。通过 RT-qPCR 分析测定脑源性神经营养因子（BDNF）、活性调节细胞骨架相关蛋白（ARC）和白细胞介素-1β（IL-1β）基因表达，并用免疫组织化学技术评估 BDNF 和 ARC 蛋白表达。
我们的数据表明，两种精油均可显著改善记忆障碍，其中地中海柏主要刺激 ARC 表达，柏木主要增强 BDNF 表达。此外，精油的吸入可降低 IL-1β 表达，并对 Aβ1-42 诱导的毒性引起的 DNA 片段化产生积极影响，进一步促进 AD 样模型大鼠的认知改善。
我们的研究结果进一步表明，这些精油及其化学成分可能是针对 Aβ1-42 诱导的神经毒性的治疗性天然药物。
