Astragalus membranaceus-Polysaccharides Ameliorates Obesity, Hepatic Steatosis, Neuroinflammation and Cognition Impairment without Affecting Amyloid Deposition in Metabolically Stressed APPswe/PS1dE9 Mice
by
Yung-Cheng Huang 1,2,†, Huey-Jen Tsay 3,†, Mei-Kuang Lu 4, Chien-Hung Lin 3, Chih-Wen Yeh 3
, Hui-Kang Liu 4,5,* and Young-Ji Shiao 4,6,*
Yung-Cheng Huang 1,2,†, Huey-Jen Tsay 3,†, Mei-Kuang Lu 4, Chien-Hung Lin 3, Chih-Wen Yeh 3, Hui-Kang Liu 4,5,* and Young-Ji Shiao 4,6,*
1
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Cheng Hsin General Hospital, Taipei 11220, Taiwan
2
Program in Molecular Medicine, School of Life Sciences, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan
3
Institute of Neuroscience, Brain Research Center, School of Life Science, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan
4
National Research Institute of Chinese Medicine, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taipei 11221, Taiwan
5
Program in Clinical Drug Development of Chinese Herbal Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan
6
Institute of Biopharmaceutical Science, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2017, 18(12), 2746; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms18122746
Received: 15 November 2017 / Revised: 14 December 2017 / Accepted: 15 December 2017 / Published: 18 December 2017
(This article belongs to the Section Molecular Pathology, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics)
Astragalus membranaceus is commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine for strengthening the host defense system. Astragalus membranaceus-polysaccharides is an effective component with various important bioactivities, such as immunomodulation, antioxidant, anti-diabetes, anti-inflammation and neuroprotection. In the present study, we determine the effects of Astragalus membranaceus-polysaccharides on metabolically stressed transgenic mice in order to develop this macromolecules for treatment of sporadic Alzheimer’s disease, a neurodegenerative disease with metabolic risk factors. Transgenic mice, at 10 weeks old prior to the appearance of senile plaques, were treated in combination of administrating high-fat diet and injecting low-dose streptozotocin to create the metabolically stressed mice model. Astragalus membranaceus-polysaccharides was administrated starting at 14 weeks for 7 weeks. We found that Astragalus membranaceus-polysaccharides reduced metabolic stress-induced increase of body weight, insulin and insulin and leptin level, insulin resistance, and hepatic triglyceride. Astragalus membranaceus-polysaccharides also ameliorated metabolic stress-exacerbated oral glucose intolerance, although the fasting blood glucose was only temporally reduced. In brain, metabolic stress-elicited astrogliosis and microglia activation in the vicinity of plaques was also diminished by Astragalus membranaceus-polysaccharides administration. The plaque deposition, however, was not significantly affected by Astragalus membranaceus-polysaccharides administration. These findings suggest that Astragalus membranaceus-polysaccharides may be used to ameliorate metabolic stress-induced diabesity and the subsequent neuroinflammation, which improved the behavior performance in metabolically stressed transgenic mice.
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Keywords:
cognitive dysfunction; Astragalus-polysaccharides; glia; metabolic stresses; amyloid plaque; Alzheimer’s disease
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MDPI and ACS Style
Huang, Y.-C.; Tsay, H.-J.; Lu, M.-K.; Lin, C.-H.; Yeh, C.-W.; Liu, H.-K.; Shiao, Y.-J. Astragalus membranaceus-Polysaccharides Ameliorates Obesity, Hepatic Steatosis, Neuroinflammation and Cognition Impairment without Affecting Amyloid Deposition in Metabolically Stressed APPswe/PS1dE9 Mice. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2017, 18, 2746.
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