Neuroprotective Effects of the Herbal Formula B401 in Both Cell and Mouse Models of Alzheimer’s Disease

Figure 4

Oral B401 treatment effectively alleviates brain atrophy, enhances brain BDNF expression, and increases CA1 cell viability in 3× Tg-AD mice. (a) (A) High resolution T2w images corresponding to the brain in 3× Tg-AD mice and their control (non-AD mice). (B) Quantified horizontal and lateral ventricle sizes at the bregma level in 3× Tg-AD mice with oral B401 treatment were significantly less compared to those 3× Tg-AD mice with sham treatment but significantly greater compared to their control. (b) Western blotting analysis shows the following. (A) Whole brain BDNF expression levels of 3× Tg-AD mice and their control. (B) Quantified brain BDNF levels of the 3× Tg-AD mice with oral B401 treatment were significantly increased compared to those 3× Tg-AD mice with sham treatment but were significantly decreased compared to their control. (c) (A) H&E staining shows widths and intact cell density of hippocampal CA1 areas of 3× Tg-AD mice and their control (non-AD mice). Dead or incomplete hippocampal cells were marked with arrows. Scale bars: 30 μm. (B) Quantified widths and intact cell density of hippocampal CA1 areas of the 3× Tg-AD mice with oral B401 treatment were significantly increased compared to those 3× Tg-AD mice with sham treatment but were significantly decreased compared to their control. Results were shown as mean ± SEM (; , one-way ANOVA followed by a Student-Newman-Keuls multiple comparisons post test), and the number of experiments was six for each treatment.

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