Zuoguiwan Ameliorates Cognitive Deficits and Neuro-Inflammation in Streptozotocin-Induced Alzheimer’s Disease Rats

Introduction: Alzheimer’s disease is the most popular neurodegenerative disorder with no effective drugs to stop the progression. Zuoguiwan (ZGW), a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, has been applied in many diseases. Our study aimed to detect the function and mechanisms of ZGW in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Methods: The rat models of AD were established by streptozotocin (STZ), and the function of ZGW on cognitive dysfunction was measured with the Morris water maze test. The concentration of pro-inflammatory mediators was accessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The relative mRNA expression of ERβ was detected by real-time quantitative PCR. Results: The treatment with ZGW could suppress the cognitive impairment by the findings of escape latency and time spent in the target quadrant and the increased concentration of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α induced by STZ. STZ might repress the mRNA levels of ERβ, and ZGW management weakened the declined mRNA expression of ERβ. ZGW might play a protective role in AD rats against the injury of STZ on cognition and neuro-inflammation by improving the mRNA expression of ERβ. Conclusion: The results indicated that ZGW might be a novel therapeutic strategy to slow the process of AD by modulating ERβ.