RESUMO
One of the pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the abnormal aggregation of amyloid beta (Aß) peptides. Uncaria rhynchophylla (UR), one of the Uncaria species, has long been used to treat neurodegenerative disease. In particular, it has been reported that UR inhibits aggregation of Aß in vitro. However, little is known about the histological effects of UR treatment on Aß pathology in AD animal models. In the present study, we investigated the effect of UR on Aß aggregation, Aß-mediated pathologies and adult hippocampal neurogenesis in the brain of 5XFAD mice. First, using the thioflavin T assay and amyloid staining, we demonstrated that UR treatment effectively inhibited Aß aggregation and accumulation in the cortex and subiculum. Second, immunofluorescence staining showed that administration of UR attenuated gliosis and neurodegeneration in the subiculum and cortex. Third, UR treatment ameliorated impaired adult hippocampal neurogenesis. The present results indicate that UR significantly alleviates Aß deposition and Aß-mediated neuropathology in the brain in 5XFAD mice, suggesting the potency of UR as a preventive and therapeutic agent for AD.