TITLE:
Ratanasampil (Tibetan Medicine, RNSP) Reduces β-Amyloid Protein (Aβ) and Pro-Inflammatory Factor Levels and Improves Cognitive Functions in Mild-to-Moderate Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) Patients Living at High Altitude
AUTHORS:
Aiqin Zhu, Aiqi Xi, Guofeng Li, Yinglan Li, Baoxia Liao, Xing Zhong, Jingping Zhou, Sonqin Gu, Meihua Yu, Yide Chu
KEYWORDS:
Ratanasampil (RNSP, Tibetan Medicine); Alzheimer’s Disease; β-Amyloid Peptide; Aβ42/Aβ40 Ratio; Pro-Inflammatory Factors; Cognitive Function
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Behavioral and Brain Science,
Vol.2 No.1,
February
29,
2012
ABSTRACT: Ratanasampil (RNSP) is a traditional Tibetan medicine used for the treatment of stroke and cerebrovascular diseases. Previous discoveries that RNSP can reduce β-amyloid protein levels and increase learning and memory in Alzheimer’s mouse models (Tg2576) led us to investigate whether RNSP can improve cognitive functions in Alzheimer’s patients. In this study, 146 AD patients living in Qinghai province received either one gram or 0.33 gram daily of RNSP for 16 weeks. Placebo patients received Piracetam. Serum Aβ40 and Aβ42 levels were measured at the beginning of the study and after 4 and 16 weeks of treatment. Compared to the same group before treatment, MMSE scores, ADAS-cog scores and ADL scores were significantly improved (p 0.05, p > 0.05). After 16-week treatment, serum TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and Aβ42 levels were significantly decreased (p