Effect of LncRNA LOC106505926 on myogenesis and Lipogenesis of porcine primary cells.

BACKGROUND: Skeletal muscle development and fat deposition have important effects on meat quality. The study of regulating skeletal muscle development and fat deposition is of great significance in improving the quality of carcass and meat. In the present study, whole transcriptome sequencing (including RNA-Seq and miRNA-Seq) was performed on the longissimus dorsi muscle (LDM) of Jinfen White pigs at 1, 90, and 180 days of age. RESULTS: The results showed that a total of 245 differentially expressed miRNAs were screened in any two comparisons, which may be involved in the regulation of myogenesis. Among them, compared with 1-day-old group, miR-22-5p was significantly up-regulated in 90-day-old group and 180-day-old group. Functional studies demonstrated that miR-22-5p inhibited the proliferation and differentiation of porcine skeletal muscle satellite cells (PSCs). Pearson correlation coefficient analysis showed that long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) LOC106505926 and CXXC5 gene had strong negative correlations with miR-22-5p. The LOC106505926 and CXXC5 were proven to promote the proliferation and differentiation of PSCs, as opposed to miR-22-5p. In terms of mechanism, LOC106505926 functions as a molecular sponge of miR-22-5p to modulate the expression of CXXC5, thereby inhibits the differentiation of PSCs. In addition, LOC106505926 regulates the differentiation of porcine preadipocytes through direct binding with FASN. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, our results highlight the multifaceted regulatory role of LOC106505926 in controlling skeletal muscle and adipose tissue development in pigs and provide new targets for improving the quality of livestock products by regulating skeletal muscle development and fat deposition.

Electrically tunable optical spatial differentiation with graphene.

In recent years, optical analog computing has experienced rapid development, among which optical differential operation has attracted great attention. Here, based on the unique optical properties of graphene, we propose an electrically tunable optical spatial differentiation by introducing a graphene layer at a quartz substrate. It is found that the output light field is sensitive to the graphene layer near the Brewster angle for small polarization output at the graphene-quartz substrate interface and can be modulated by changing the Fermi energy of graphene. In this case, the result of the optical differential operation can be dynamically regulated. Almost strict one-dimensional differential operations in different directions and almost perfect two-dimensional differential operations can be achieved. In addition, two-dimensional edge detection with different degrees of distortion in different directions can also be realized when applied to image processing. This new modulation method may provide more possibilities for tunable image edge detection and provide a potential way for developing more versatile optical simulators in the future.

The mixed biofilm formed by Listeria monocytogenes and other bacteria: Formation, interaction and control strategies.

Listeria monocytogenes is an important foodborne pathogen. It can adhere to food or food contact surface for a long time and form biofilm, which will lead to equipment damage, food deterioration, and even human diseases. As the main form of bacteria to survive, the mixed biofilms often exhibit higher resistance to disinfectants and antibiotics, including the mixed biofilms formed by L. monocytogenes and other bacteria. However, the structure and interspecific interaction of the mixed biofilms are very complex. It remains to be explored what role the mixed biofilm could play in the food industry. In this review, we summarized the formation and influence factors of the mixed biofilm developed by L. monocytogenes and other bacteria, as well as the interspecific interactions and the novel control measures in recent years. Moreover, the future control strategies are prospected, in order to provide theoretical basis and reference for the research of the mixed biofilms and the targeted control measures.

Molecular characterization and biofilm formation ability of Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis bloodstream isolates from a Chinese tertiary hospital in Beijing.

To investigate the molecular characteristics and biofilm-forming ability of 116 Enterococcus faecium (Efm) and 72 Enterococcus faecalis (Efs) isolates obtained from patients with bloodstream infections (BSI) at a Chinese hospital between July 2011 and March 2018. The presence of glycopeptide resistance genes and five virulence genes (esp, gelE, asa1, hyl, and cylA) was screened using two multiplex PCR. MLST was used to assess the clonality. Crystal violet staining was used to detect biofilms. Vancomycin resistance was detected in 30.1% of Efm and 2.8% of Efs isolates, respectively. All VRE strains carried the vanA gene. The esp, gelE, asa1, and cylA genes in 72 Efs strains were detected at 62.5%, 84.7%, 84.7%, and 69.4%, respectively. Among the 116 Efm isolates, 74.1% and 25.8% carried esp and hyl, respectively. The esp gene was significantly associated with vancomycin-resistant Efm (VREfm) compared to vancomycin-susceptible Efm (VSEfm). In total, 91.7% of Efs and 20.0% of Efm produced biofilms. Twenty-six STs were identified among the 72 Efs isolates, with ST4 (29.2%) being the predominant. In total, 116 Efm strains were grouped into 26 STs, with ST78 (46.6%) being the predominant. Both VREfm (41.7%) and VSEfm (48.8%) were dominant in ST78. There is no clear evidence suggesting that some STs are associated with vancomycin resistance or biofilm formation. Both Efm and Efs BSI isolates showed a polyclonal pattern with a dominant clone and many unique types, implying the coexistence of clonal dissemination and an influx of new clones. The horizontal transmission of resistance genes may play a more important role in VREfm prevalence than clonal expansion.

Molecular detection of Nocardia: development and application of a real-time PCR assay in sputum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples.

The diagnosis of pulmonary nocardiosis remains challenging. Rapid detection of Nocardia is of primary importance for early diagnosis and precise treatment of nocardiosis. In this study, our objective was to develop and validate a new TaqMan real-time PCR (qPCR) assay for rapidly detecting Nocardia spp. in respiratory samples. Based on published sequence data, primers in a conserved region of the 16S rRNA gene and a probe within that region that was specific for Nocardia were designed. The distinction effect of the qPCR assay was assessed between Nocardia and other respiratory-associated bacteria. Furthermore, the specificity and sensitivity of the assay were evaluated in respiratory clinical samples (n = 205), compared to the results of 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and clinical diagnosis. The qPCR assay exhibited high specificity, sensitivity, repeatability, and reproducibility. The limit of detection of standard plasmid DNA was 3 × 102 copies/mL. Additionally, the qPCR assay was applied to the direct detection of 205 clinical respiratory samples. The specificity and sensitivity of the qPCR were all 100% compared to 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, as well as 98.4% and 100% compared to clinical diagnosis respectively. The qPCR yielded results within 3 h of sample processing, compared to several days for culture, significantly reducing turnaround time. The results suggest that the new qPCR assay developed in this study provides reliable and rapid detection of Nocardia spp. in the respiratory tracts and is expected to reduce the time required for diagnosing and treating nocardiosis.

Designable optical differential operation based on surface plasmon resonance.

Various optical differential computing devices have been designed, which have advantages of high speed and low power consumption compared with traditional digital computing. In this paper, considering the reflection of a light beam through a three-layer structure composed of glass, metal and air, we propose a designable optical differential operation based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR). When the SPR is excited under certain conditions, the spin-dependent splitting in the photonic spin Hall effect (SHE) changes dramatically. We first prove theoretically that this three-layer structure can realize one-dimensional optical differential operation. By discussing the transverse beam displacement under different conditions, it is found that the designable differential operation with high sensitivity can be realized by slightly adjusting the incident angle and the thickness of metal film. We design the differentiator which can obtain the image of measured target edge in real time and get different edge effects at different times. This will provide more possible applications for autonomous driving and target recognition.

Icarisid II rescues cognitive dysfunction via activation of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway promoting hippocampal neurogenesis in APP/PS1 transgenic mice.

Restoring the compromised neurogenesis has been served as a potential strategy to rescue cognitive dysfunction of Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this study, we explored whether icarisid II (ICS II), a natural product possessing powerful neuroprotection, could recover the neurogenesis dysfunction of APP/PS1 mice, and investigated its underlying mechanisms. Our results showed that oral administration of ICS II could alleviate cognitive injuries of APP/PS1 mice, promote hippocampal neurogenesis, as well as stimulate Wnt/ß-catenin signal pathway confirmed by upregulated Wnt-3a, phosphorylated glycogen synthase kinase-3ß (p-GSK-3ß), and ß-catenin. ICS II also depressed mitochondrial fission evidenced by upregulated Mitofusin 1 (Mfn 1) and Mitofusin 2 (Mfn 2), and downregulated mitochondrial fission 1 protein (Fis 1), mitochondrial fission factor (Mff), and phosphorylated dynamin-related protein 1 (p-Drp 1). However, these effects of ICS II were blunted by XAV-939, an inhibitor of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway. In summary, our findings revealed that ICS II could improve neurogenesis and inhibit mitochondrial fission via activation of the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway, which contributed to cognitive function restoration of APP/PS1 mice. This study discovered a novel mechanism involving neurogenesis regulation underlying the therapeutic effects of ICS II against AD.

MLSA phylogeny and antimicrobial susceptibility of clinical Nocardia isolates: a multicenter retrospective study in China.

BACKGROUND: With the increase of detection rate and long treatment period, nocardiosis has become a noticeable problem in China. However, there are limited large-scale studies on the epidemiology and antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of clinical Nocardia spp. in China. The present study aimed to explore the species distribution and drug susceptibility pattern of 82 clinical Nocardia isolates from three tertiary hospitals in China by multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) and broth microdilution (BMD) method. RESULTS: Pulmonary nocardiosis (90.2%) was the most common clinical presentation of infection. N. cyriacigeorgica (n = 33; 40.2%) and N. farcinica (n = 20; 24.4%) were the most frequently encountered Nocardia species, followed by N. otitidiscaviarum (n = 7; 8.5%), N. abscessus (n = 5; 6.1%), N. asiatica (n = 4; 4.9%), and N. wallacei (n = 4; 4.9%). Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (SXT) remained high activity against all Nocardia isolates (susceptibility rate: 98.8%). Linezolid and amikacin were also highly active; 100 and 95.1% of all isolates demonstrated susceptibility, respectively. Except for N. otitidiscaviarum, all the Nocardia isolates exhibited high susceptibility rates to imipenem. The resistance rates of all isolates to clarithromycin and ciprofloxacin were 92.7 and 73.2%, respectively, but the resistance rate of N. farcinica to ciprofloxacin was only 25%. CONCLUSIONS: The clinically isolated Nocardia spp. had diverse antimicrobial susceptibility patterns, which were similar to the reports by other groups elsewhere, but some differences were also observed, mainly including imipenem and ciprofloxacin. According to this study, SXT still can be the first choice for empirical therapy due to the low resistance rate. Linezolid can be chosen when a patient is allergic to SXT, and amikacin and imipenem can be the choice in a combination regimen.

Icarisid II promotes proliferation and neuronal differentiation of neural stem cells via activating Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway.

Adult neurogenesis plays a vital role in maintaining cognitive functions in mammals and human beings. Mobilization of hippocampal neurogenesis has been regarded as a promising therapeutic approach to restore injured neurons in neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Icarisid II (ICS II), an active ingredient derived from Epimedii Folium, has been reported to exhibit multiple neuroprotective effects. In the present study, we investigated the effects of ICS II on the proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells (NSCs) and amyloid precusor protein (APP)-overexpressing NSCs (APP-NSCs) in vitro. Our results demonstrated that ICS II dose-dependently suppressed apoptosis and elevated viability of APP-NSCs. ICS II (1 µM) potently promoted proliferation and neuronal differentiation of NSCs and APP-NSCs. ICS II (1 µM) significantly upregulated Wnt-3a expression, increased the phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase-3ß and enhanced the nuclear transfer of ß-catenin. Moreover, ICS II also promoted astrocytes to secrete Wnt-3a, which positively modulates Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway. These findings demonstrate that ICS II promotes NSCs proliferation and neuronal differentiation partly by activating the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway.

Multifunctional osthole liposomes and brain targeting functionality with potential applications in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

Osthole (Ost) is a coumarin compound and a potential drug for Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the effectiveness of Ost is limited by solubility, bioavailability, and low permeability of the blood-brain barrier. In this study, we constructed Ost liposomes with modified CXCR4 on the surface (CXCR4-Ost-Lips), and investigated the intracellular distribution of liposomes in APP-SH-SY5Y cells. In addition, the neuroprotective effect of CXCR4-Ost-Lips was examined in vitro and in vivo. The results showed that CXCR4-Ost-Lips increased intracellular uptake by APP-SH-SY5Y cells and exerted a cytoprotective effect in vitro. The results of Ost brain distribution showed that CXCR4-Ost-Lips prolonged the cycle time of mice and increased the accumulation of Ost in the brain. In addition, CXCR4-Ost-Lips enhanced the effect of Ost in relieving AD-related pathologies. These results indicate that CXCR4-modified liposomes are a potential Ost carrier to treat AD.

Prevalence and Characterization of Antimicrobial Resistance in Salmonella enterica Isolates from Retail Foods in Shanghai, China.

This study characterized the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance characteristics of foodborne Salmonella isolates from March 2016 to February 2017 in Shanghai, China. A total of 147 (14.2%) nonduplicate foodborne Salmonella isolates were obtained from 1035 food samples. The Salmonella isolates were most frequently identified in fresh meat samples (28.0%), followed by ready-to-eat foods (9.0%), frozen convenience foods (7.1%), and fresh produce (4.5%). The top 3 serovars were Salmonella Enteritidis (46.3%; 68/147), Salmonella Typhimurium (32.7%; 48/147), and Salmonella Derby (6.8%; 10/147). The majority of isolates were resistant to sulfisoxazole (93.9%; 138/147) and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (61.2%; 90/147). Interestingly, frozen convenience food isolates exhibited an extremely high multidrug resistance rate (86.7%; resistant to ≥3 classes of antimicrobials). Among 81 quinolone-resistant isolates, aac(6')-Ib-cr (100%), oqxAB (84.0%), qnrS1 (23.5%), D87Y (49.4%), and D87N (33.3%) mutations in GyrA, and T57S in ParC (12.3%) were observed. The ß-lactamase genes blaTEM-1 (100%) were present in 63 ampicillin-resistant isolates. Polymerase chain reaction-based plasmid replicon typing revealed that 147 isolates represented 6 plasmid incompatibility groups (IncFIIs, IncHI2, IncI1, IncP, IncFIC, and IncA/C), among which, IncFIIs (59.2%) and IncHI2 (26.5%) were predominant. The genetic relationship of isolates was elucidated using multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). MLST results indicated that ST34 and ST11 were predominate types in Salmonella Typhimurium (56.3%; 27/48) and Salmonella Enteritidis (95.6%; 65/68), respectively. Importantly, 96.3% (26/27) of ST34 Salmonella Typhimurium isolates possessed the ACSSuT resistance pattern (ampicillin, chloramphenicol, streptomycin, sulfamethoxazole, and tetracycline). PFGE analysis of ST34 isolates showed clonal dissemination across all four types of retail foods. Our findings highlight the high prevalence of antimicrobial-resistant Salmonella isolates in retail foods in Shanghai, especially the clonal expansion of ST34 isolates with MDR-ACSSuT resistance, which might pose a public health threat.

Osthole alleviates inflammation by down-regulating NF-κB signaling pathway in traumatic brain injury.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a common neurotrosis disorder of the central nervous system (CNS), which has dramatic consequences on the integrity of damaged tissue. In this study, we investigated the neuroprotective effect and anti-inflammatory actions of osthole, a natural coumarin derivative, in both in vivo and in vitro TBI models. We first prepared a mouse model of cortical stab wound brain injury, investigated the capacity for osthole to prevent secondary brain injury and further examined the underlying mechanism. We revealed that osthole significantly improved the neurological function, increased the number of neurons beside injured site. Additionally, osthole treatment reduced the expression of microglia and glial scar, lowered the level of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1ß, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and blocked the activation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB). Furthermore, the protective effect of osthole was also examined in SH-SY5Y cells subjected to scratch injury. Treatment of osthole prominently suppressed cell apoptosis and inflammatory factors release by blocking injury-induced IκB-α phosphorylation and NF-κB translocation, and upregulated the IκB-α which functions in the NF-κB signaling pathway of SH-SY5Y cells. However, NF-κB signaling pathway was inhibited by pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC), an NF-κB inhibitor, the anti-inflammatory effect of osthole was abolished. In conclusion, our findings demonstrated that osthole attenuated inflammatory response by inhibiting the NF-κB pathway in TBI.

Osthole promotes endogenous neural stem cell proliferation and improved neurological function through Notch signaling pathway in mice acute mechanical brain injury.

Mechanical brain injury (MBI) is a common neurotrosis disorder of the central nervous system (CNS), which has a higher mortality and disability. In the case of MBI, neurons death leads to loss of nerve function. To date, there was no satisfactory way to restore neural deficits caused by MBI. Endogenous neural stem cells (NSCs) can proliferate, differentiate and migrate to the lesions after brain injury, to replace and repair the damaged neural cells in the subventricular zone (SVZ), hippocampus and the regions of brain injury. In the present study, we first prepared a mouse model of cortical stab wound brain injury. Using the immunohistochemical and hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining method, we demonstrated that osthole (Ost), a natural coumarin derivative, was capable of promoting the proliferation of endogenous NSCs and improving neuronal restoration. Then, using the Morris water maze (MWM) test, we revealed that Ost significantly improved the learning and memory function in the MBI mice, increased the number of neurons in the regions of brain injury, hippocampus DG and CA3 regions. Additionally, we found that Ost up-regulated the expression of self-renewal genes Notch 1 and Hes 1. However, when Notch activity was blocked by the γ-secretase inhibitor DAPT, the expression of Notch 1 and Hes 1 mRNA was down-regulated, augmentation of NICD and Hes 1 protein was ameliorated, the proliferation-inducing effect of Ost was abolished. These results suggested that the effects of Ost were at least in part mediated by activation of Notch signaling pathway. Our findings support that Ost is a potential drug for treating MBI due to its neuronal restoration.

[Osthole suppresses amyloid precursor protein expression by up-regulating miRNA-101a-3p in Alzheimer's disease cell model].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of osthole on the expression of amyloid precursor protein (APP) in Alzheimer's disease (AD) cell model and its mechanism. METHODS: The SH-SY5Y cell with over expression of APP was established by transfection by liposome 2000. The cells were treated with different concentrations of osthole, and the cell viability was determined by MTT and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay. The differentially expressed miRNAs with and without osthole treatment were detected by miRNA array, and the target genes binding to the differentially expressed miRNAs were identified and verified by databases and Cytoscape. After the inhibitor of the differentially expressed miRNA was transduced into cells, the changes of APP and amyloid ß (Aß) protein were determined by immunofluorescence cytochemistry, and the mRNA expression of APP was determined by RT-PCR. RESULTS: The AD cell model with over expression of APP was established successfully. The results of MTT and LDH assay showed that osthole had a protective effect on cells and alleviated cell damage. miR-101a-3p was identified as the differentially expressed miRNA, which was binding to the 3'-UTR of APP. Compared with APP group, the expression of APP and Aß protein and APP mRNA increased in the miR-101a-3p inhibitor group (all P<0.01), while the expression of APP and Aß protein and APP mRNA decreased in the cells with osthole treatment (all P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Osthole inhibits the expression of APP by up-regulating miR-101a-3p in AD cell model.

Osthole Protects Bone Marrow-Derived Neural Stem Cells from Oxidative Damage through PI3K/Akt-1 Pathway.

In recent years, neural stem cell (NSC) transplantation has been widely explored as a treatment for neurodegenerative diseases. NSCs are special cells that have some capacity for self-renewal and the potential to differentiate into multiple cell types. However, the inflammatory environment of diseased tissue is not conducive to the survival of transplanted cells. Osthole (Ost) is a principal bioactive component of Fructus Cnidii, Radix Angelicae Pubescentis and other traditional Chinese medicines. Ost has a wide range of pharmacological activities, such as anti-inflammation, immunomodulation, and neuroprotection. In the present study, we assessed the protective effects of Ost on bone marrow-derived-NSCs (BM-NSCs) against injury induced by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). BM-NSCs were pre-treated with different doses of Ost and treated with H2O2. The cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) method and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage assay were used to determine cell viability. Using the TUNEL assay and RT-PCR, we evaluated the effect of Ost on cell apoptosis. The results showed that Ost had protective effects against H2O2-induced cell damage, and the number of apoptotic cells was significantly decreased in the Ost pre-treated groups compared to the H2O2 group. The expression ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 mRNA was also decreased. Furthermore, western blotting was used to analyze levels of proteins related to PI3K/Akt-1 signaling pathway, and results indicated that ost can increase p-Akt and PI3K. Our findings suggested that Ost protects BM-NSCs against oxidative stress injury, and it can be used to improve the inflammatory environment of neurodegenerative diseases so and promote the survival rate of transplanted NSCs.

Silencing IFN-γ binding/signaling in astrocytes versus microglia leads to opposite effects on central nervous system autoimmunity.

IFN-γ, the hallmark cytokine of Th1 cells, plays an important role in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of multiple sclerosis. Thus far, the role of IFN-γ in EAE has been largely studied through its effects on immune cells, whereas much less is known about its effects on CNS cells, especially in vivo. In this study, we dissected the in vivo effects and mechanisms of IFN-γ binding/signaling in astrocytes and microglia, and found that IFN-γ signaling in these cell types has opposite effects in EAE pathogenesis. Silencing IFN-γ binding/signaling in astrocytes alleviated EAE, whereas in microglia, and likely in some infiltrating macrophages, it increased disease severity. Silencing IFN-γ signaling in astrocytes resulted in diminished expression of chemokines and fewer inflammatory cells infiltrating into the CNS, whereas blocking IFN-γ binding/signaling in microglia, probably infiltrating macrophages as well, increased disease severity through augmented activation and proliferation of microglia. Further, blocking IFN-γ binding/signaling in astrocytes alleviated both Th1- and Th17-mediated adoptive EAE, indicating an important role for IFN-γ signaling in astrocytes in autoimmune CNS inflammation. Thus, our study defines novel mechanisms of action of IFN-γ in EAE pathogenesis, and also highlights an opportunity for development of multiple sclerosis therapies directed at CNS cells.

Osthole Enhances the Therapeutic Efficiency of Stem Cell Transplantation in Neuroendoscopy Caused Traumatic Brain Injury.

Neuroendoscopy processes can cause severe traumatic brain injury. Existing therapeutic methods, such as neural stem cell transplantation and osthole have not been proven effective. Therefore, there is an emerging need on the development of new techniques for the treatment of brain injuries. In this study we propose to combine the above stem cell based methods and then evaluate the efficiency and accuracy of the new method. Mice were randomly divided into four groups: group 1 (brain injury alone); group 2 (osthole); group 3 (stem cell transplantation); and group 4 (osthole combined with stem cell transplantation). We carried out water maze task to exam spatial memory. Immunocytochemistry was used to test the inflammatory condition of each group, and the differentiation of stem cells. To evaluate the condition of the damaged blood brain barrier restore, we detect the Evans blue (EB) extravasation across the blood brain barrier. The result shows that osthole and stem cell transplantation combined therapeutic method has a potent effect on improving the spatial memory. This combined method was more effective on inhibiting inflammation and preventing neuronal degeneration than the single treated ones. In addition, there was a distinct decline of EB extravasation in the combined treatment groups, which was not observed in single treatment groups. Most importantly, the combined usage of osthole and stem cell transplantation provide a better treatment for the traumatic brain injury caused by neuroendoscopy. The collective evidence indicates osthole combined with neural stem cell transplantation is superior than either method alone for the treatment of traumatic brain injury caused by neuroendoscopy.

Ginseng Protein Reverses Amyloid Beta Peptide and H2 O2 Cytotoxicity in Neurons, and Ameliorates Cognitive Impairment in AD Rats Induced by a Combination of D-Galactose and AlCl3.

Ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) is one of the most widely used herbal medicines worldwide. The present study evaluated the neuroprotective effects of ginseng protein (GP) and its possible mechanisms in a cellular and animal model of AD. The results demonstrated that GP (10-100 µg/mL) significantly improved the survival rate of neurons and reduced the cells' apoptosis and the mRNA expression of caspase-3 and Bax/Bcl-2. In addition, GP (0.1 g/kg) significantly shortened the escape latency, prolonged the crossing times and the percentage of residence time; reduced the level of Aß1-42 and p-tau, the activity of T-NOS and iNOS, and the content of MDA and NO, improved the activity of SOD, the concentration of cAMP and the protein expression of p-PKA/PKA and -CREB/CREB. The results demonstrated that GP significantly inhibited Alzheimer-like pathophysiological changes induced by Aß25-35 or H2 O2 in cells or those induced by D-gal/ Al in animals. These neuroprotective effects of GP may be associated with the cAMP/PKA/CREB pathway. Also, in combination with our previous studies, these results indicate that the anti-AD mechanism of GP was likely to activate the CREB pathway through multiple channels. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.