Xiaojia Yang , Meng Jiang , Min Wu , Xin Jin , Xinyu Wang , Lan Lv , Liquan Liu
{"title":"藏红花素通过降低DKK3表达来驱动阿尔茨海默病大鼠模型中的肠道微生物群变异。","authors":"Xiaojia Yang , Meng Jiang , Min Wu , Xin Jin , Xinyu Wang , Lan Lv , Liquan Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.brainres.2025.149734","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a common neurodegenerative disease. Targeting DKK3-mediated intestinal microbiota (IM) variation is a promising strategy to treat AD. Crocin can alter IM distribution and inhibit DKK3 expression. We aimed to explore whether Crocin alleviates AD by regulating DKK3-mediated IM variation.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>AD animal models were established by injecting Aβ<sub>1-42</sub> into the brains of rats. Subsequently, AD rats were overexpressed with DKK3 and treated with Crocin. Morris water maze and passive avoidance tests were performed to assess the learning and memory abilities of the rats. The effect of Crocin on brain Aβ<sub>1-42</sub> and p-tau levels, serum proinflammatory cytokine (TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6) levels were analyzed. Then, hippocampal pathological damage of the rats was evaluated. Furthermore, DKK3, NeuN, Bax, BCL-2 expressions and GSK-3β phosphorylation were measured by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. Moreover, rat feces were collected for 16S rRNA sequencing.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Crocin improved learning and memory abilities of AD rats. Additionally, Crocin inhibited brain Aβ<sub>1-42</sub> and p-tau levels, and serum proinflammatory cytokine levels for AD rats. It was also observed that Crocin attenuated hippocampal pathological damage, inhibited DKK3, Bax expressions and GSK-3β phosphorylation, but increased NeuN, BCL-2 expressions for AD rats. Notably, Crocin increased the α and β diversity of the IM in AD rats. However, DKK3 overexpression reversed these situations. Additionally, Crocin treatment led to an increase in <em>Prevotellaceae_NK3B31_group</em>, alongside reductions in <em>Lachnospiraceae UCG-001</em> and <em>Family_XIII_AD3011_group</em>.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Crocin alleviated AD by regulating DKK3-mediated IM variation, suggesting that DKK3-mediated IM variation was a potential therapeutic target for AD.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9083,"journal":{"name":"Brain Research","volume":"1862 ","pages":"Article 149734"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7000,"publicationDate":"2025-05-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":"{\"title\":\"Crocin drives intestinal microbiota variation in a rat model of Alzheimer’s disease by reducing DKK3 expression\",\"authors\":\"Xiaojia Yang , Meng Jiang , Min Wu , Xin Jin , Xinyu Wang , Lan Lv , Liquan Liu\",\"doi\":\"10.1016/j.brainres.2025.149734\",\"DOIUrl\":null,\"url\":null,\"abstract\":\"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a common neurodegenerative disease. Targeting DKK3-mediated intestinal microbiota (IM) variation is a promising strategy to treat AD. Crocin can alter IM distribution and inhibit DKK3 expression. We aimed to explore whether Crocin alleviates AD by regulating DKK3-mediated IM variation.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>AD animal models were established by injecting Aβ<sub>1-42</sub> into the brains of rats. Subsequently, AD rats were overexpressed with DKK3 and treated with Crocin. Morris water maze and passive avoidance tests were performed to assess the learning and memory abilities of the rats. The effect of Crocin on brain Aβ<sub>1-42</sub> and p-tau levels, serum proinflammatory cytokine (TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6) levels were analyzed. Then, hippocampal pathological damage of the rats was evaluated. Furthermore, DKK3, NeuN, Bax, BCL-2 expressions and GSK-3β phosphorylation were measured by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. Moreover, rat feces were collected for 16S rRNA sequencing.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Crocin improved learning and memory abilities of AD rats. Additionally, Crocin inhibited brain Aβ<sub>1-42</sub> and p-tau levels, and serum proinflammatory cytokine levels for AD rats. It was also observed that Crocin attenuated hippocampal pathological damage, inhibited DKK3, Bax expressions and GSK-3β phosphorylation, but increased NeuN, BCL-2 expressions for AD rats. Notably, Crocin increased the α and β diversity of the IM in AD rats. However, DKK3 overexpression reversed these situations. Additionally, Crocin treatment led to an increase in <em>Prevotellaceae_NK3B31_group</em>, alongside reductions in <em>Lachnospiraceae UCG-001</em> and <em>Family_XIII_AD3011_group</em>.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Crocin alleviated AD by regulating DKK3-mediated IM variation, suggesting that DKK3-mediated IM variation was a potential therapeutic target for AD.</div></div>\",\"PeriodicalId\":9083,\"journal\":{\"name\":\"Brain Research\",\"volume\":\"1862 \",\"pages\":\"Article 149734\"},\"PeriodicalIF\":2.7000,\"publicationDate\":\"2025-05-24\",\"publicationTypes\":\"Journal Article\",\"fieldsOfStudy\":null,\"isOpenAccess\":false,\"openAccessPdf\":\"\",\"citationCount\":\"0\",\"resultStr\":null,\"platform\":\"Semanticscholar\",\"paperid\":null,\"PeriodicalName\":\"Brain Research\",\"FirstCategoryId\":\"3\",\"ListUrlMain\":\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S000689932500294X\",\"RegionNum\":4,\"RegionCategory\":\"医学\",\"ArticlePicture\":[],\"TitleCN\":null,\"AbstractTextCN\":null,\"PMCID\":null,\"EPubDate\":\"\",\"PubModel\":\"\",\"JCR\":\"Q3\",\"JCRName\":\"NEUROSCIENCES\",\"Score\":null,\"Total\":0}","platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Brain Research","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S000689932500294X","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"NEUROSCIENCES","Score":null,"Total":0}
Crocin drives intestinal microbiota variation in a rat model of Alzheimer’s disease by reducing DKK3 expression
Background
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a common neurodegenerative disease. Targeting DKK3-mediated intestinal microbiota (IM) variation is a promising strategy to treat AD. Crocin can alter IM distribution and inhibit DKK3 expression. We aimed to explore whether Crocin alleviates AD by regulating DKK3-mediated IM variation.
Methods
AD animal models were established by injecting Aβ1-42 into the brains of rats. Subsequently, AD rats were overexpressed with DKK3 and treated with Crocin. Morris water maze and passive avoidance tests were performed to assess the learning and memory abilities of the rats. The effect of Crocin on brain Aβ1-42 and p-tau levels, serum proinflammatory cytokine (TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6) levels were analyzed. Then, hippocampal pathological damage of the rats was evaluated. Furthermore, DKK3, NeuN, Bax, BCL-2 expressions and GSK-3β phosphorylation were measured by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. Moreover, rat feces were collected for 16S rRNA sequencing.
Results
Crocin improved learning and memory abilities of AD rats. Additionally, Crocin inhibited brain Aβ1-42 and p-tau levels, and serum proinflammatory cytokine levels for AD rats. It was also observed that Crocin attenuated hippocampal pathological damage, inhibited DKK3, Bax expressions and GSK-3β phosphorylation, but increased NeuN, BCL-2 expressions for AD rats. Notably, Crocin increased the α and β diversity of the IM in AD rats. However, DKK3 overexpression reversed these situations. Additionally, Crocin treatment led to an increase in Prevotellaceae_NK3B31_group, alongside reductions in Lachnospiraceae UCG-001 and Family_XIII_AD3011_group.
Conclusion
Crocin alleviated AD by regulating DKK3-mediated IM variation, suggesting that DKK3-mediated IM variation was a potential therapeutic target for AD.
期刊介绍:
An international multidisciplinary journal devoted to fundamental research in the brain sciences.
Brain Research publishes papers reporting interdisciplinary investigations of nervous system structure and function that are of general interest to the international community of neuroscientists. As is evident from the journals name, its scope is broad, ranging from cellular and molecular studies through systems neuroscience, cognition and disease. Invited reviews are also published; suggestions for and inquiries about potential reviews are welcomed.
With the appearance of the final issue of the 2011 subscription, Vol. 67/1-2 (24 June 2011), Brain Research Reviews has ceased publication as a distinct journal separate from Brain Research. Review articles accepted for Brain Research are now published in that journal.