Osthole Upregulates BDNF to Enhance Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis in APP/PS1 Transgenic Mice

Adult hippocampal neurogenesis occurs in the dentate gyrus (DG) of the mouse hippocampus, and plays roles in learning and memory progresses. In amyloid precursor protein (APP)/presenilin 1 (PS1) transgenic mice, a rodent model of Alzheimer's disease (AD), severe impairment of neurogenesis in the dentate subgranular zone (SGZ) of the DG has been reported. Osthole, an active constituent of Cnidium monnieri (L.) CUSSON, has been reported to exert neuroprotective effects and may promote neural stem cell proliferation. However, whether osthole ameliorates spatial memory deficits and improves hippocampal neurogenesis in APP/PS1 mice remains unknown. In this study we found that osthole (30 mg/kg intraperitoneally (i.p.) once daily) treatment dramatically ameliorated the cognitive impairments by Morris Water Maze test and passive avoidance test, and augmented neurogenesis in the DG of hippocampus in APP/PS1 mice. Furthermore, osthole treatment upregulated expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and enhanced activation of the BDNF receptor tyrosine receptor kinase B (TrkB) following increased phosphorylation of cyclic AMP response element-binding protein (CREB), indicating that osthole improves neurogenesis via stimulating BDNF/TrkB/CREB signaling in APP/PS1 transgenic mice.