The neuroprotective effect of ginsenoside Rb1 on the cerebral cortex changes induced by aluminium chloride in a mouse model of Alzheimer?s disease: A histological, immunohistochemical, and biochemical study

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the most common types of dementia among neurodegenerative disorders characterized by attention deficits and memory loss. Panax ginseng is a traditional Chinese herbal remedy that has been employed for millennia to manage dementia linked with aging and memory impairment. Ginsenoside Rb1 is one of Panax ginseng's most abundant components. The present work evaluated the neuroprotective effects of ginsenoside Rb1 on the cerebral cortex of AlCl3-induced AD in adult male albino mice. Forty male mice were alienated arbitrarily into; control group, ginsenoside Rb1 group (70 mg/kg/day), AlCl3 group (50 mg/kg/ day), and ginsenoside Rb1-AlCl3 group that received ginsenoside Rb1 one hour before AlCl3. Oxidative stress parameters, Amyloid beta (A beta) and phosphorylated tau protein, and acetylcholine esterase (AChE) activity were measured. Cerebral cortex sections were evaluated histologically by light microscopic examination and immu-nohistochemistry. AlCl3-induced memory impairment, A beta and phosphorylated tau protein accumulation, and AChE elevation. Moreover, histopathological alterations in the cerebral cortex were reported in the form of irregular shrunken neurons and the surrounding neuropil showed vacuolation. Some neurons appeared with darkly stained nuclei, others had faintly stained ones. The synaptophysin expression was significantly decreased, while the expression of cleaved caspase-3, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and ionized calcium-binding adaptor molecule 1 (Iba-1) were significantly elevated. It's interesting to note that these changes were attenu-ated in mice pretreated with ginsenoside Rb1. Collected data indicated that ginsenoside Rb1 showed a potential neuroprotective effect against cerebral cortex changes caused by AlCl3 via suppression of Amyloid beta and phos-phorylated tau protein formation, oxidative stress correction, anti-apoptotic effect, and by minimizing gliosis.

Automated summary

This study evaluated the neuroprotective effects of ginsenoside Rb1 on the cerebral cortex in AlCl3-induced Alzheimer's disease in mice. The results showed that ginsenoside Rb1 could alleviate memory impairment, accumulation of Alzheimer's disease-related proteins, and neuroinflammation.