• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.100-107
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• 2013

This study examined the effect of fermented ginseng (FG) on memory impairment and ${\beta}$-amyloid ($A{\beta}$) reduction in models of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in vitro and in vivo. FG extract was prepared by steaming and fermenting ginseng. In vitro assessment measured soluble $A{\beta}42$ levels in HeLa cells, which stably express the Swedish mutant form of amyloid precursor protein. After 8 h incubation with the FG extract, the level of soluble $A{\beta}42$ was reduced. For behavioral assessments, the passive avoidance test was used for the scopolamine-injected ICR mouse model, and the Morris water maze was used for a transgenic (TG) mouse model, which exhibits impaired memory function and increased $A{\beta}42$ level in the brain. FG extract was treated for 2 wk or 4 mo on ICR and TG mice, respectively. FG extract treatment resulted in a significant recovery of memory function in both animal models. Brain soluble $A{\beta}42$ levels measured from the cerebral cortex of TG mice were significantly reduced by the FG extract treatment. These findings suggest that FG extract can protect the brain from increased levels of $A{\beta}42$ protein, which results in enhanced behavioral memory function, thus, suggesting that FG extract may be an effective preventive or treatment for AD.

• BMB Reports
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• v.43 no.10
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• pp.649-655
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• 2010

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common age-dependent neurodegenerative disorder and shows progressive memory loss and cognitive decline. Intraneuronal filaments composed of aggregated hyperphosphorylated tau protein, called neurofibrillary tangles, along with extracellular accumulations of amyloid $\beta$ protein (A$\beta$), called senile plaques, are known to be the neuropathological hallmarks of AD. In light of recent studies, epigenetic modification has emerged as one of the pathogenic mechanisms of AD. Epigenetic changes encompass an array of molecular modifications to both DNA and chromatin, including transcription factors and cofactors. In this review, we summarize how DNA methylation and changes to DNA chromatin packaging by post-translational histone modification are involved in AD. In addition, we describe the role of SIRTs, histone deacetylases, and the effect of SIRT-modulating drugs on AD. Lastly, we discuss how amyloid precursor protein (APP) intracellular domain (AICD) regulates neuronal transcription. Our understanding of the epigenomes and transcriptomes of AD may warrant future identification of novel biological markers and beneficial therapeutic targets for AD.

• Journal of Korean geriatric psychiatry
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.17-23
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• 2012

The diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is still obscure even to specialists. To improve the diagnostic accuracy, to find at-risk people as early as possible, to predict the efficacy or adverse reactions of pharmacotherapy on an individual basis, to attain more reliable results of clinical trials by recruiting better defined participants, to prove the disease-modifying ability of new candidate drugs, to establish prognosis-based therapeutic plans, and to do more, is now increasing the need for biomarkers for AD. Among AD-related biochemical markers, cerebrospinal beta-amyloid and tau have been paid the most attention since they are materials directly interfacing the brain interstitium and can be obtained through the lumbar puncture. Level of beta-amyloid is reduced whereas tau is increased in cerebrospinal fluid of AD patients relative to cognitively normal elderly people. Remarkably, such information has been found to help predict AD conversion of mild cognitive impairment. Despite inconsistent findings from previous studies, plasma beta-amyloid is thought to be increased before the disease onset, but show decreasing change as the disease progress. Regarding other peripheral biochemical markers, omics tools are being widely used not only to find useful biomarkers but also to generate novel hypotheses for AD pathogenesis and to lead new personalized future medicine.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.75-89
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• 2006

Objective : This experiment was designed to investigate the effect of Rhododendron simsii Planch(RSP) on the Alzheimer's disease. Method : The effects of RSP on amyloid precursor proteins(APP), acetylcholinesterase (AChE), glial fibrillary acidic protein(GFAP) mRNA of PC-12 cell treated by amyloid ${\beta}$ protein$(A{\beta})$ and $IL-1{\beta}$, IL-6, $TNF-{\alpha}$ mRNA of THP-1 cell treated by lipopolysaccharide(LPS), AChE activity of PC-12 cell lysate treated by $A{\beta}$ and behavior of the memory deficit mice induced by scopolamine, and glucose, AChE in serum of the memory deficit mice induced by scopolamine were investigated, respectively. Result : 1. RSP suppressed APP, AChE, GFAP mRNA in PC-12 celt treated by $A{\beta}$. 2. RSP suppressed $IL-1{\beta}$, IL-6, $TNF-{\alpha}$ mRNA in THP-1 cell treated by LPS. 3. RSP suppressed AChE activity in cell lysate of PC-12 cell treated by $A{\beta}$. 4. RSP increased glucose and decreased AChE significantly in the serum of the memory deficit mice induced by scopolamine. 5. RSP group showed significantly inhibitory effect on the scopolamine-induced impairment of teaming and. memory in the experiment of Morris water maze. Conclusion : According to the above results, it is suggested that RSP might be usefully applied for prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease and memory deficit symptom.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.665-670
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• 2006

Amyloid $\beta$-peptide (A$\beta$), which is a product of the proteolytic effect of $\beta$-secretase (BACE) on an amyloid precursor protein, is closely associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis. There is sufficient evidence to suggest that a BACE inhibitor may reduce A$\beta$ levels, thus decreasing the risk of AD. In a previous study, an extract of Clavicorona pyxidata DGUM 29005 mycelia was found to inhibit the production of a soluble $\beta$-amyloid precursor protein (s$\beta$APP), A$\beta$, and BACE in neuronal cell lines. We sought to determine whether this mycelial extract exerts the same effect in human rhabdomyosarcoma A-204 and rat pheochromocytoma PC-12 cells. We found that the production of A$\beta$ decreased in a dose-dependent manner in the presence of the mycelial extract and that the concentration of A$\beta$ never exceeded $50{\mu}g/ml$. The presence of sAPP was detected in every culture medium to which the mycelial extract had been added and its concentration remained the same, regardless of the concentration of the extract used. Endogenous $\beta$-secretase activity in A-204 and PC-12 cellular homogenates also decreased in the presence of this extract. These cells, in culture, were not susceptible to the cytotoxic activity of the mycelial extract.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.115-117
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• 2014

Variety of biomarkers that are related to the Alzheimer's disease and its diagnosis and progress have been found. However, research lacks in predicting the reaction of the treatment. In addition, there is no definite treatment reaction to the disease but rather it is varied. The purpose of this review article is to study the research of the biomarkers that are able to predict the treatment reaction. There was a research that illustrated a relationship between plasma amyloid ${\beta}$ peptide, cerebrospinal fluid tau, neuroanatomical biomarkers and acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. Polymorphisms in genes of the cholinergic markers AChE, BuChE, ChAT and PON-1 were found to be associated with better clinical response to acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. Many pharmacogenetic studies have been conducted to evaluate the impact of the lipoprotein apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype on treatment response to acetylcholinesterase inhibitor. However, there is no significant influence of the APOE genotypes on treatment response. Further research is needed to find other predictors of treatment with acetylcholinesterase inhibitors in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.50 no.5
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• pp.326-331
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• 2006

We designed and synthesized new benzylpiperidinyl ether derivatives as beta-amyloid aggregation inhibitors for the development of novel anti-Alzheimer's disease agents. As starting material, 4-hydroxypiperidine was used. For protection of the amine group in piperidine (2), di-tert-butyl dicarbonate was reacted with 4-hydroxypiperidine in the presence of triethylamine. For introduction of benzyl group, benzylbromide was treated with compound 2 in dioxane. After deprotection of Boc group on amine in compound 3, ester (5) was synthesized by addition of ethyl-4-chlorobutyrate. The alcohol 6 was synthesized by hydride reduction of 5 using $LiAlH_4$. To obtain final products (7-14), the alcohol 6 was condensed with each of substituted benzoic acids. To screen beta-amyloid aggregation inhibition of the products, thioflavinT assay was performed using $A{\beta}1-42\;at\;37^{\circ}C$ for 26 h incubation, in vitro. From the result of screening, compound 8, 9, 11 and 12 showed effective activity about $65{\sim}85\;{\mu}M\;as\;IC_{50}$ value. Among the prepared compounds, 4-[4-(benzyloxy)piperidino]butyl-4-chlorobenzoate (8) was the most effective inhibitor having $IC_{50}\;of\;65.4{\mu}M$.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.59-78
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• 2006

Objective : This research investigates the effect of the CMT and SCMT on Alzheimer's disease. Methods : The effects of the CMT and SCMT on (1) amyloid precursor proteins(APP), acetylcholinesterase(AChE) mRNA of PC-12 cells treated with CT-105; (2) the AChE activity and the APP production of PC-12 cell treated with CT-105; (3) the behavior; (4) expression of $IL-1{\beta}$, $TNF-{\alpha}$, MDA; (5) the infarction area of the hippocampus in Alzheimer's disease mice induced with CT105 & ${\beta}A$ were investigated Rresults : 1. The CMT and SCMT suppressed the expression of APP, AChE mRNA in PC-12 cells treated with CT-105 2. The CMT and SCMT suppressed the AChE activity, and the production of APP significantly in PC-12 cells treated with CT-105. 3. For the CMT and SCMT group a significant inhibitory effect on the memory deficit was shown for the mice with Alzheimer's disease induced by ${\beta}A$ in the Morris water maze experiment, which measured stop-through latency, and distance movement-through latency 4. The CMT and SCMT suppressed the over-expression of $IL-1{\beta}$, $TNF-{\alpha}$, MDA in the mice with Alzheimer's disease induced by ${\beta}A$. 5. The CMT and SCMT reduced the infarction area of hippocampus with Alzheimer's disease induced by ${\beta}A$. Conclusions : These results suggest that the CMT and SCMT may be effective for the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Investigation into the clinical use of the CMT and SCMT for Alzheimer's disease is suggested for future research.

• Journal of Integrative Natural Science
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.143-150
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• 2013

Prevailing role of intracellular amyloid ${\beta}$ ($iA{\beta}$) in Alzheimer's disease (AD) initiation and progression attracts more and more attention in recent years. To address whether $iA{\beta}$ induces early alterations of electrophysiological properties in cultured human primary neurons, we delivered $iA{\beta}$ with adenovirus and measured the electrophysiological properties of infected neurons with whole-cell recordings. Our results show that $iA{\beta}$ induces an increase in neuronal resting membrane potentials, a decrease in $K^+$ currents and a hyperpolarizing shift in voltage-dependent activation of $K^+$ currents. These results suggest the electrophysiological impairments induced by $iA{\beta}$ may be responsible for its neuronal toxicity.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.179-185
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• 2012

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder. Neuropathological hallmarks of AD are amyloid plaques, dystrophic neurite, and alteration of subcellular organelles. However, the morpho-functional study of this degenerative process and ultimate neuronal death remains poorly elucidated. In this study, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural analyses were performed to clarify the abnormal morphological alterations caused by the progression of AD in APP/PSEN1 transgenic mice, express human amyloid precursor protein, as a model for AD. In transgenic AD mice brain, the accumulation of Amyloid ${\beta}$ plaques and well-developed dystrophic neurites containing anti-LC3 antibody-positive autophagosomes were detected in the hippocampus and cortex regions. We also found severe disruption of mitochondrial cristae using high-voltage electron microscopy and three-dimensional electron tomography (3D tomography). These results provide morpho-functional evidence on the alteration of subcellular organelles in AD and may help in the investigation of the pathogenesis of AD.