Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40011632›Full record

ArticleActa pharmacologica Sinica2025

Rhynchophylline alleviates cognitive deficits in multiple transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer's disease via modulating neuropathology and gut microbiota.

Mei Zhong, Qing-Qing Xu, Ming-Qing Huang, Ruo-Ting Zhan, Xiao-Qi Huang, Wen Yang, Zhi-Xiu Lin, Yan-Fang Xian

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Acta pharmacologica Sinica, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Review
  5. Article
  6. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Mei ZhongSchool of Chinese Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China.
Qing-Qing XuSchool of Chinese Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China.
Ming-Qing HuangCollege of Pharmacy, Fujian Key Laboratory of Chinese Materia Medica, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, 350122, China.
Ruo-Ting ZhanKey Laboratory of Chinese Medicinal Resource from Lingnan (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Science, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
Xiao-Qi HuangSchool of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
Wen YangSchool of Chinese Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China.
Zhi-Xiu LinSchool of Chinese Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China. linzx@cuhk.edu.hk.
Yan-Fang XianSchool of Chinese Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China. lisaxian@cuhk.edu.hk.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Amyloid-beta (Aβ) aggregation, phosphorylated tau accumulation and neuroinflammation are considered as three hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Rhynchophylline (RN), the major alkaloid of a Chinese medicinal plant Uncaria rhynchophylla, has been shown to possess potent anti-AD effects. This study explored the effects of RN on Aβ pathology, tauopathy, and neuroinflammation using three AD mouse models, including TgCRND8, 3×Tg-AD, and 5×FAD, with RN treatment lasting for 4, 6, and 6 months, respectively, followed by behavioral tests and biological assays. In addition, BV2 cells were employed to further evaluate the biological effects of RN. RN treatment improved cognitive functions by reducing anxiety-like behaviors, enhancing recognition ability, and ameliorating learning impairments. It modulated Aβ processing through reducing the Aβ-producing enzyme activities and enhancing degradation enzyme activities, thereby diminishing Aβ accumulation. RN also decreased hyperphosphorylated tau proteins at Thr181, Thr205, Ser396, and Ser404 sites. Moreover, RN diminished neuroinflammation by reducing microglia and astrocyte activation and lowering the release of inflammatory cytokines. Furthermore, RN treatment could restore gut microbiota dysbiosis in 5×FAD mice. In BV2 cells, knockdown of p53, HDAC2, and Galectin-3 markedly enhanced the anti-inflammatory effects of RN. Overall, the anti-AD properties of RN were attributed to its regulation of multiple biological pathways, including regulation of the p53/PINK1 signaling pathway, inhibition of the HDAC2/AMPK signaling pathway, suppression of the Galectin-3/C/EBPβ/AEP signaling pathway, and modulation of gut microflora dysbiosis. This pioneering study unambiguously revealed the effects of RN on cognitive impairments, APP processing, tauopathy, and neuroinflammation in different transgenic mouse models with differing AD burdens, highlighting its potential as an anti-AD therapeutic agent and enhancing the scientific basis for its clinical use in treating AD.

Indexed as

Alzheimer DiseaseCognitive DysfunctionGastrointestinal MicrobiomeOxindolesAmyloid beta-PeptidesAnimalsDisease Models, AnimalHumansMaleMiceMice, Inbred C57BLMice, Transgenictau ProteinsAmyloid beta-PeptidesOxindolesrhyncophyllinetau ProteinsAlzheimer’s diseaseamyloid-beta accumulationneuroinflammationrhynchophyllinetauopathytransgenic mouse

Identifiers

PMID40011632
PMCPMC12205089

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.