Affiliations: [a]
Department of Anatomy and Histology, College of Basic Medicine, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China | [b]
Central Laboratory of College of Basic Medicine, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China | [c]
Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, College of Acupuncture and Orthopedics, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China
Correspondence:
[*]
Correspondence to: Dr. Xiao-Ping Hong and Dr. Ze-Bin Chen, Department of Anatomy and Histology, College of Basic Medicine, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan 430065,People’s Republic of China. Tel.: +86 27 68890134; E-mails: xphong100@126.com (Hong) and 273949147@qq.com (Chen).
Note: [1] These authors contributed equally to this work.
Abstract: Enhanced neurogenesis has been reported in the hippocampus of patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common neurodegenerative disorder characterized with amyloid-β (Aβ) aggregation, tau hyperphosphorylation, and progressive neuronal loss. Previously we reported that tau phosphorylation played an essential role in adult hippocampal neurogenesis, and activation of glycogen synthase kinase (GSK-3), a crucial tau kinase, could induce increased hippocampal neurogenesis. In the present study, we found that treatment of D-galactose rats with Puerarin could significantly improve behavioral performance and ameliorate the enhanced neurogenesis and microtubule-associated protein tau hyperphosphorylation in the hippocampus ofD-galactose rat brains. FGF-2/GSK-3 signaling pathway might be involved in the effects of Puerarin on hippocampal neurogenesis and tau hyperphosphorylation. Our finding provides primary in vivo evidence that Puerarin can attenuate AD-like enhanced hippocampal neurogenesis and tau hyperphosphorylation. Our finding also suggests Puerarin can be served as a treatment for age-related neurodegenerative disorders, such as AD.
