Estrogen Receptors Are Involved in the Neuroprotective Effect of Silibinin in Aβ1–42-Treated Rats

• DOI: 10.1007/s11064-018-2481-3
• Publication Date: 2018-02-02T23:22:32Z
• Authors: Xiaoyu Song; Bo Liu; Lingyu Cui; Biao Zhou; Lu Liu; Weiwei Liu; Guodong Yao; Mingyu Xia; Toshihiko Hayashi; Shunji Hattori; Yuko Ushiki-Kaku; Shin-ichi Tashiro; Takashi Ikejima
• Keywords: Silibinin

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that is characterized by a cascade of pathologic changes. A widely discussed theory indicates that amyloid β (Aβ) peptides are the causative agents of AD. Silibinin, a flavonoid derived from milk thistle, is well known for its hepato-protective activities and we have reported the neuroprotective effects of silibinin. In this study, we investigated the role of estrogen receptors (ERs) in silibinin's neuroprotective effect on Aβ1-42-injected rats. Results of Morris water maze and novel object-recognition tests demonstrated that silibinin significantly attenuated Aβ1-42-induced memory impairment. Silibinin attenuated ERs and PI3K-Akt pathways, as well as modulated mitogen-activated protein kinases in the hippocampus of Aβ1-42-injected rats. Taken together, silibinin is a potential candidate in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.