Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand.
Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy.
Molecules. 2022 Jul 5;27(13):4310. doi: 10.3390/molecules27134310.
Cognitive impairment is a neurological symptom caused by reduced estrogen levels in menopausal women. The Thai traditional medicine, Yakae-Prajamduen-Jamod (YPJ), is a formula consisting of 23 medicinal herbs and has long been used to treat menopausal symptoms in Thailand. In the present study, we investigated the effects of YPJ on cognitive deficits and its underlying mechanisms of action in ovariectomized (OVX) mice, an animal model of menopause. OVX mice showed cognitive deficits in the Y-maze, the novel object recognition test, and the Morris water maze. The serum corticosterone (CORT) level was significantly increased in OVX mice. Superoxide dismutase and catalase activities were reduced, while the mRNA expression of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α inflammatory cytokines were up-regulated in the frontal cortex and hippocampus of OVX mice. These alterations were attenuated by daily treatment with either YPJ or 17β-estradiol. HPLC analysis revealed that YPJ contained antioxidant and phytoestrogen constituents including gallic acid, myricetin, quercetin, luteolin, genistein, and coumestrol. These results suggest that YPJ exerts its ameliorative effects on OVX-induced cognitive deficits in part by mitigating HPA axis overactivation, neuroinflammation, and oxidative brain damage. Therefore, YPJ may be a novel alternative therapeutic medicine suitable for the treatment of cognitive deficits during the menopausal transition.
认知障碍是一种由绝经后妇女雌激素水平降低引起的神经症状。泰国传统药物 Yakae-Prajamduen-Jamod（YPJ）是一种由 23 种草药组成的配方，长期以来一直用于治疗泰国的更年期症状。在本研究中，我们研究了 YPJ 对去卵巢（OVX）小鼠认知缺陷的影响及其作用机制，OVX 小鼠是一种更年期动物模型。OVX 小鼠在 Y 迷宫、新物体识别测试和 Morris 水迷宫中表现出认知缺陷。OVX 小鼠的血清皮质酮（CORT）水平显著升高。超氧化物歧化酶和过氧化氢酶活性降低，而 IL-1β、IL-6 和 TNF-α 炎症细胞因子的 mRNA 表达在 OVX 小鼠的额叶皮层和海马体中上调。YPJ 或 17β-雌二醇的每日治疗可减轻这些变化。HPLC 分析表明，YPJ 含有抗氧化和植物雌激素成分，包括没食子酸、杨梅素、槲皮素、木樨草素、染料木黄酮和大豆素。这些结果表明，YPJ 通过减轻 HPA 轴过度激活、神经炎症和氧化脑损伤，对 OVX 诱导的认知缺陷发挥其改善作用。因此，YPJ 可能是一种治疗更年期过渡期间认知缺陷的新型替代治疗药物。
